Lord Mandelson’s anti-piracy measures for the internet have been welcomed by many content owners. But is the Government’s suggestion of internet disconnections for repeat offenders set to become reality?

While the Secretary of State may be one of Parliament’s few doers, the much-anticipated proposals are not clear enough and do not come soon enough to ensure the Government’s targeted 70pc crackdown on illegal pirates.

As shadow culture secretary Jeremy Hunt reminds us, the Government suggested in August that waiting 12 months before introducing technical measures such as disconnection was “too long”. Now the plan will see a wait of 15 months from the time the Digital Economy Bill receives Royal Assent in April for technical measures to be put in place. So it will not be until at least the summer of 2011 before internet access can be blocked – and the future support of the process is even more uncertain with the chance of a new government in place.

The Telegraph has the full story.