One of the most controversial parts of the Digital Economy Act 2010 is Section 17, entitled "Power to make provisions about injunctions preventing access to locations on the Internet". Put simply, this could be used to establish a system that would allow anyone to have content or websites blocked by ISPs based on an accusation of copyright infringement.

The Digital Economy Act 2010 puts in place a framework for taking actions against those with Internet subscriptions who have been accused of infringing copyright. As a result, these provisions include an appeals process through which a subscriber can contest the allegations made against them.

The Initial Obligations Code of the Digital Economy Act 2010 is designed to reduce online copyright infringement by educating those accused of infringing and warn them of the legal consequences if they persist. However, any legal action taken against the alleged infringer is restricted to what could be done before the Act came into force; i.e. a copyright holder must first sue the ISP to obtain the identity of the subscriber, and then they must sue the individual subscriber. This is where the second prong of the measures to tackle online copyright infringement comes in; the obligations to limit Internet access.

The Digital Economy Act 2010 (c. 24) is a law of the United Kingdom. It consists of 48 sections and two schedules, received Royal Assent on 8th April 2010 and came into force on the 8th June. The Act contains new government powers over Internet domain names, material on Channel 4 and independent television networks, radio licensing (including provisions for a radio 'digital switch-over') and laws about the classification of video games. It ends with a section that should help libraries loan out audio- and e-books - although it does not go quite as far as it could. However, the most contentious parts of the Act are the sections on Online infringement of copyright (sections 3-18) - which contain the framework for disconnecting Internet users accused of infringing copyright by amending the Communications Act 2003. So, does this mean that we should start checking our email and post for threatening letters sent under this legislation? No - well, not yet.

Yet more data has come to light supporting the Pirate Party's opposition of the Digital Economy Bill (DEB). Not only will it fail to reduce piracy, but it will drive pirates to even more sophisticated and harder-to-monitor technologies.

The most recent nail in the coffin of this misguided legislation has been supplied by UK ISP TalkTalk. A survey of their customers revealed that 80% of 18-34 year olds would simply seek out new - and as yet undetectable - ways to download, and felt that they would be more likely to commit online piracy if the Bill were to become law.