The UK's main internet service providers will start to send out "educational emails" to customers who are detected to be downloading pirate content. Virgin Media, Talk Talk, Sky and BT, among other ISPs, are to start sending out the emails from Tuesday (January 17) when they detect a broadband connection has been used to pirate TV shows, films, music and other illegally downloaded content. Users who use Torrent website and software to download shows will be targeted, rather than anyone streaming videos online. A Virgin Media spokesperson said: "Virgin Media and other ISPs will soon begin sending educational emails to customers who are associated with illegal file-sharing and direct to them to a dedicated website with a list of genuine sources of where they, and others who use their account, can legally access movies, music, TV shows, books, newspapers, games and sports. “Emails sent by ISPs will be purely educational and no customer details will be shared with rights holders, government or other third parties.” The letter will read: "Get it Right from a Genuine Site is a government-backed campaign acting for copyright owners who think their content's being shared without their permission. "It looks like someone has been using your broadband to share copyrighted material (that means things like music, films, sport or books). "And as your broadband providers, we have to let you know when this happens." It then will provide a list of the content in question and directs users to a website with a list of genuine sources. What happens if you receive an email? The programme is designed to be educational and without sanctions. If you receive an educational email, you will be directed to a special website (the Get it Right Information Portal) that has more detail about the information provided in your email – and resources addressing where to find legitimate content. If an account continues to be used to share copyright content illicitly, further emails may be sent. This ensures that people who might have missed an earlier email receive another one – but also allows time for account holders to take steps to address the issue. A spokesperson for the Get it Right from a Genuine Site Campaign added: “The educational emails form part of our campaign to inform consumers about the wide range of legal sources of content available to them and promote awareness of the value of creative content and the copyright which underpins it."
UK ISPs are to send "educational emails" to customers downloading pirated content. Virgin Media, TalkTalk, Sky and BT among others, started sending the emails earlier this week when they detected broadband connections were being used to download illegal content such as pirated versions of TV shows, films and music. Torrent users will be targeted by the initiative, rather than users who stream videos online. The emails will list the content in question and then direct users to genuine sources where they can legally download material.