Digital Economy Bill readied for final push through House of Lords

The Digital Economy Bill's third reading took place on Monday, with the controversial provisions for legal action against illegal file-sharers intact in most particulars.

At issue is the ability that the bill grants to the High Court - allowing that body to "to grant an injunction against a service provider, requiring it to prevent access to online locations specified in the order of the court for the prevention of online copyright infringement".

While the Liberal Democrats' final amendment - providing legal recourse for those unjustly accused of file sharing - attempts to allay concerns that the bill would have a chilling effect on freedom of speech on the internet, critics say that the bill still does exactly that. According to the Guardian, the Open Rights Group called for the bill to be scrapped.

ZDNet reports that the bill, should it pass the House of Lords, could be fast-tracked through the Commons thanks to the upcoming general election set for May 6. Outstanding legislation in these situations is frequently pressed through in order to clear the decks for the new Parliament.