The Mobile Internet Report Key Themes*

Copyright Protection in the Mobile Internet Era
Who should have responsibility for protecting copyright holders Courts do not have time to haul in
the millions of ordinary users who pilfer copyright material online. Should the onus be imposed on
carriers/ISPs, or should it be given to a specific enforcement authority, with the ability to cut off
Internet service and impose jail terms, or are existing legal provisions adequate
The more successfully piracy is controlled, the easier mobile payment models will become to
use
Consumers who want to pay for content are more likely to do so via a simple payment system
requiring many fewer keystrokes than credit card entry on the fixed internet. eBay’s PayPal could be
particularly suited to the mobile internet. In the developing world, where credit cards and bank
accounts are less prevalent, operators have an opportunity to leverage the prepaid account balances
that already form the core of the money transfer market (e.g. Vodafone’s MPESA in Kenya).
Overhead cost on carriers/ISPs from legal issues
As the legal position develops, carriers/ISPs may have growing responsibility for the content
downloaded through them. This seems likely to create overhead costs in monitoring and, if
necessary, blocking offensive or illegal material. At this stage it is not clear how much of these costs
will be borne by the state, by responsibilities imposed on the carrier/ISP or by specific taxes. IT
overheads could lead to further scale economies in carriers/ISPs, providing momentum towards
consolidation.
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