Peter Mandelson denies Geffen influence

Peter Mandelson has denied suggestions that last month's holiday meeting with record executive David Geffen improperly influenced his stance on music piracy.

The first secretary of state told The Times that his proposals to enable ISPs to cut off the accounts of illegal filesharers were based on sound moral and economic reasons.

He also noted that under his plans, disconnections would be based on reports from rights holders rather than internet monitoring from service providers.

Mandelson said: "The thinking behind this is clear and has nothing to do with dinners in Corfu. The government decided to reopen the issue of suspending internet connections as a sanction of last resort against the most egregious offenders for two simple reasons.

"First, taking something for nothing, without permission, and with no compensation for the person who created and owns it, is wrong. Simple as that. If technical solutions can discourage piracy, then as a government we are obliged to consider them."

He added: "Second, our creative businesses drive much of our economy. They provide not only tax revenues and jobs but also ensure that Britain punches above its weight on the global cultural stage. We are a creative people and we do these things well.

"I made clear to the content industry that we would consider legislation that includes temporary account suspension only if it was seen as the sanction of last resort. It would only follow a well-established series of warnings and clear evidence that they were taking action to defend their own rights. This will not turn your ISP into Big Brother."