Industry senses ISP action delay.

Concern mounts following minister's speech suggesting the Government might delay ISP consultation document

The music industry is privately expressing concerns that its filesharing negotiations with ISPs are being undermined by Government plans to delay its consultation in preparation for legislation early next year.

This move comes at the same time as the BPI has struck a groundbreaking deal with Virgin Media to educate broadband customers about safely - and legally - downloading music from the internet (see p3).

The misgivings over the consultation emerged following a speech given by Andy Burnham, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, at the PPL AGM last week. In his half-hour dialogue Burnham touched on a number of key issues facing the industry, including copyright, education and filesharing. But it was his comments about the sequencing of the ongoing ISP consultation - being run by the Department of Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) - that caused some industry executives to sit up and take note.

According to them Burnham appeared to suggest a new tack. The Government has been pursuing a "parallel track" - preparing to put legislation in place (the consultation started in February 2008 with the publication of BERR's Creative Britain document), while also hoping ISPs and rights holders can reach a voluntary agreement on file- sharing.

At the AGM Burnham said, "Our preference is for voluntary arrangements, but we will ...