In April, the UK Parliament [official website] approved the Digital Economy Bill [JURIST report], authorizing the suspension of Internet service for those who repeatedly download copyrighted material illegally. The act also received Royal Assent [text] and is now law. The new law calls on Internet service providers (ISPs) to block download sites, reduce a user's broadband speeds and ultimately shut down a user's Internet access in order to prevent piracy of copyrighted materials. The bill, known as a three-strikes law, imposes stricter penalties on repeat digital offenders than had previously existed, and has received a great deal of public criticism. Certain ISPs have even threatened not to comply with the law, but MPs who support it say it is a necessary step to protect the creators of digital content.