Ofcom Publishes Draft Code of Practice to Reduce Online Copyright Infringement

On Friday (28 May 2010) Ofcom published a draft code of practice which is intended to implement initial legislative measures aimed at reducing online copyright infringement. The Code, entitled the "Online Copyright Infringement Initial Obligations Code", has been published by Ofcom as part of its new duties under the Digital Economy Act 2010. The Code is principally designed to govern a new and controversial regime whereby rights holders can require Internet Service providers to send notifications to subscribers whose accounts have been associated with copyright infringement.

The Code can be accessed by clicking here , and is expected to come into force in early 2011, following consultation and approval. A more detailed review will follow shortly.