Internet: UK Gov to prosecute parents of file sharers; force "Human Dam"

The move has dubious legality in any case: in principle, it is the same as the owner of a car being held liable for actions taken by a driver who uses it with the owner's consent but the owners is not present.

Under Mandelson's scheme, internet account holders will be liable if a user downloads covered copyright material.

But - and here's a but Mandelson won't have considered and nor will he act on because it would negatively impact on those same vested interests - the tools that routinely facilitate the breaking of copyright are installed on every PC by software manufacturers : the browser cache.

And so, if parents and employers are to be the human equivalent of China's failed Green Dam project, i.e. to monitor all internet usage and block access to innapropriate material.

In recent weeks China and Malaysia, public pressure has prevented various forms of internet monitoring. Mandelson's previous boss, Tony Blair, once said he would not be swayed by public opinion.

Totalitarian Britain? This measure, like so many others, will impinge on the rights and freedoms of the many and the innocent by creating wide ranging laws to deal with the harm caused to the few. It's not even to save a lot of money: the recording industry says that illegal downloading costs it an estimated GBP1,400 million each year. Let's be generous and assume that it's not greatly exaggerated. In the great scheme of the UK economy, particularly government spending, that's tiny.

So why should the government be spending on this activity: oh, yes. Fines of up to GBP50,000 per instance.

But it's not the only thing: according to newspaper reports in the UK the film and record industry has "successfully lobbied" Mandelson after the publication of a report said to be gentle on downloading by his predecessor.

Mandelson has a history of tying government policy to party or special projects funding. Whether that has happened this time is not known.

The Bill for the new law will be published in a few weeks.

Now, perhaps, is the time for Britons to stand up.