• The New York Times, Wednesday, February 6, 2008 11 AM

Hollywood, in its struggle against Internet piracy, has called on Internet service providers to start filtering out access to certain peer-to-peer file-sharing destinations. AT&T, a provider of high-speed DSL service, has slowed down traffic its network sends to peer-to-peer sites. The telecom giant is also thinking about developing a system hat identify and block illegally copyrighted material being sent over its network.

However, Verizon, a rival ISP, opposes that concept. Tom Tauke, Verizon's executive vice president for public affairs, said the idea of network filtering raises privacy concerns and by acquiescing to Hollywood's request for network filtering, Verizon would be doing a disservice to itself. Phone companies have spent a century trying not to be liable for what people say over their lines.

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