A recent music ownership poll indicated that iPods or other digital music players owned by teenagers and students contained an average of 842 illegally copied songs each.

An estimated 6.5 million Britons reportedly have downloaded music illegally in 2007.

The Times of London said a measure to curb digital piracy has been announced by Baroness Vadera, who brought together Internet service providers BT, Virgin Media, Orange, Tiscali, BSkyB and Carphone Warehouse (OTCBB:CRWHF), as well as Ofcom, the U.K. communications agency, to fight piracy.

Homes where official warnings are ignored will be monitored through online surveillance and their Internet speeds will be slowed to make it difficult to download large files, such as movies and music, The Times said.

An enforcement team set up by the BPI, the music trade body, can tell when users illegally download material because it watches Web sites where music is available to be copied, and then notes the addresses of those who do so, the newspaper said.