british telekom wants to block accounts just for using Gnutella or BitTorrent

-> a comment to BT to cut off file sharers [1] from TechWatch.

I can read this article in two ways:
1) They took part in sharing/downloading that music file
2) They just had a bittorrent or Gnutella program running.

1 is unlikely, because not every fourth internet user will have downloaded that song.

And if 2 is the case, BT should be sued to its knees.

Having a Gnutella program is not illegal, and blocking access to Gnutella means vastly reduced service.

It's as if they'd take away your flat, because someone saw you using a kitchen knife.

The same is true for BitTorrent which for example gets used by millions of people to download GNU/Linux distributions without creating too much traffic on the servers.

It's what you do with your tool that might be illegal, but having the tool is perfectly legal, and when BT blocks it, they are unduly worsening the service for their customers.

Best wishes,
Arne