Russia looks to ISPs to crack down on piracy

The ongoing battle between internet providers and rights owners is taking a surprising turn, with the news that Russia is considering whether it can make ISPs liable for the copyright infringements of their customers.

Reports in the local media say that the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs is looking to bring in fresh laws that would make service providers responsible for illegal filesharing between those using their networks. According to Vedomosti.ru, the government is undertaking a consultation on the issue, and will report back towards the end of this month. If it goes ahead, the laws that criminalize the network could hit the statute books later this year.