Virgin Media defend file-sharing clampdown

Virgin Media today insisted they will not be prosecuting illegal file-sharers.

A Virgin representative told the BBC there was “absolutely no possibility” that they would be taking legal action or bannning internet users as part of their clampdown on unauthorised peer-to-peer networks.

The comments came after the company sent letters to 800 customers last month, warning that they should not be using file-sharing networks such as BitTorrent or Limewire to swap copyright protected music. The letters arrived in an envelope marked “Important. If you don’t read this, your broadband could be disconnected.”

Virgin now admits that using the phrase was a mistake and aim to retarget the campaign to educate customers, rather than pass judgement on their activities.

Virgin representative Asam Ahmad said: "It is important to let our customers know that their accounts have been used in a certain way but we are happy to accept it may not be the account holder that's involved.”

He added: “It could be someone else in the family or someone living in a shared house. It could even be someone stealing wi-fi. We are not making any form of accusation."