Indonesian ISPs volunteer to police the web

Here's a twist on the usual role of Internet Service Providers being 'forced' to block access to pirate sites on their networks, or participate in 'three strikes' policies and/or police content. In Indonesia, the Indonesian Internet service providers (ISPs) are considering blocking users from accessing sites to download pirated music, but have yet to determine a timeline on when such measures will be introduced. Semeul Pangerapa, vice chairman of the Indonesian Internet Service Provider Association (APJII) told the Jakarta Post that the move will protect the local music business industry and help local ISPs expand their legal music download business.

Most interestingly The APJII plans to set up a platform similar to a clearing house to control intellectual property rights, payment gateways and content aggregators - as well as block content to sites offering infringing content. So maybe something like the much talked about Digital Copyrights Exchange being investigated by Richard Hooper here in the UK - but owned and controlled by - well if it were the UK, then run by BT and Talk Talk and Google, with a self run 'Hadopi' or 'Law Sinde' procedure alongside that. And I am not sure what content owners would think about the former - or open rights groups the latter!

Pangerapa also said that the move with educate internet users to respect copyright and Pangerapa also noted that the scheme is supported by the 2008 Law on Information and Electronic Transactions.

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