LONDON—Britain's six biggest Internet service providers have agreed to work with the government and music industry to clamp down on illegal downloading, a music industry association said Thursday.
BT, Virgin Media, Orange, Tiscali, BSkyB and Carphone Warehouse signed up to a government-negotiated plan and will send letters to hundreds of thousands of prolific downloaders warning them their activity is being monitored, according to The BPI -- formerly known as the British Phonographic Industry.
But the service providers have resisted music industry demands they cut off customers who share files illegally.
The government plans new sanctions against illegal downloading, but has not said what they will be.
The companies also agreed Thursday to develop legal file-sharing services as an alternative to piracy.
Industry estimates say 6.5 million Britons have downloaded files illegally over the past year.
