In an effort to reduce mobile phone related crime, the Mobile Industry Crime Action Forum (MICAF), along with all five major UK mobile networks, have vowed to block 80% of stolen phones, within 24-48 hours of being reported.

MICAF are now making the phone networks take full accountability for the theft of mobile phones. Backing the incentive, Home Secretary, John Reid has pledge £1.35 million in order to form a new “National Phone Crime” unit.

It is likely that the IMEI will be blocked in order to render the phones useless, but many people fear that this may lead to an increase in stolen phones as thiefs will be likely to use the phoen for 48 hours and discard it in place of another.

Slashdot reports:
“According to a the BBC, ‘the UK recording industry is urging the foreign secretary to raise the issue of Russian bargain music download website allofmp3.com at the G8 summit’. British Phonographic Industry (BPI) chairman Peter Jamieson wants Margaret Beckett to ‘urge the Russian government to take action against the operators of the site by insisting that it is removed from the internet’. Allofmp3 has insisted in the past that it is operating in compliance with Russian copyright laws.”

Source: Slashdot - UK Recording Industry Wants Allofmp3 An Issue at G8

US government officials put pressure on the Swedish government shortly before the raids on Pirate Bay took place.

In April, officials from the US Department of Commerce, the State Department and the US trade representative’s office met with officials from the Swedish Ministry of Justice, the Washington Post reports. They told the Swedish visitors that the Pirate Bay was one of the world’s largest sources of unauthorised copies of films and music.

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At the end of May the Pirate Bay was raided by Swedish police.

But the issue is a little more complicated in Sweden where there is a lot of support for file sharing. Demonstrations in favour of file sharing have attracted hundreds of people. There are elections in September and several political parties have made noises about copyright reform.

The country may consider some kind of levy, like in France, to recompense artists - this would be a tax on blank media like CDs and DVDs.

The Pirate Bay was briefly forced abroad after the raids, but quickly returned to Sweden. It currently plans to divide operations between several countries to make it harder to take down. The service is run by volunteers.

US lobbyists have tried similar tactics against Russia - saying its entry to the World Trade Organisation could be at risk unless it takes action against music and file sharing sites.