The UK is working to educate internet users on the illegality of piracy

A new scheme aimed at redeeming the UK’s illegal file-sharers from their law-breaking ways will see emails sent out to persistent offenders from next year. The government-brokered Voluntary Copyright Alert Programme, agreed between ISPs and organisations representing content creators, hopes to educate web users, alerting them to file-sharing illegality. Offenders will receive up to four emails a year under the scheme, but no further action will be taken if they send those warnings directly to the trash can and continue illegally downloading music, movies and books. BT, TalkTalk, Sky, and Virgin have already signed up for the Vcap scheme with several smaller ISPs expected to do so soon.