DVD AND games rental group Xtra-Vision has written to the Government warning that jobs and tax revenues will be lost if gaps in Irish copyright law are not addressed.

The company says its “ability to sustain our existing business and to launch new, legal digital delivery platforms” is materially impacted by the availability of films and games from file-sharing sites such as Pirate Bay.

Xtra-Vision employs 1,400 people in Ireland and remitted over €100 million to the State in respect of all taxes over the last five years.

The company wants the Government to close the loophole in the Copyright Act, which means that the courts do not have the power to make internet service providers (ISPs) take action against sites or individuals involved in the illegal downloading of material.

The problem arose last year in the course of a court case being taken against UPC – the third biggest internet service provider – by five music companies.

“The current regulatory impasse is akin to a situation where car registration details were confidential and motorists could refuse to give their names to a member of An Garda Síochána following a traffic violation.

“The road traffic laws of the State would still be enforceable in theory, but not in any practical sense,” according to the letter sent to Minister for Enterprise Richard Bruton and the Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

Xtra-Vision wants legislation to “require each ISP to act reasonably to preclude its customers from committing theft of copyright works”.

ISPs that continue to “actively solicit their customers to commit such an offence and worse still to profit from selling increased download limits to offenders” should be held liable, Xtra-Vision argues.

Video content is a particularly large consumer of available bandwidth in Ireland and the majority of consumption is in respect of illegally downloaded product, the company claims.