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The Music Business Forum (MBF) has written to BT, Tiscali and NTL, telling them that they have a 'corporate responsibility' to discourage 'illegal downloading'.

'Internet Service Providers have to take their share of responsibility for keeping the traffic on their networks legitimate. ISPs are doing very well out of digital music - it is helping drive their revenues and it is being liberally used in their marketing strategies,' said John Kennedy, chairman of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industries and a member of the MBF.

Emma Pike, MBF co-chairman, told The Times that if service providers failed to act then the organisation will consider legal action, although European law provides the ISPs with considerable protection just as long as they are acting as a 'mere conduit'.