Some of the biggest names on the web have written to Peter Mandelson to express “grave concerns” about elements of the Digital Economy Bill.

Facebook, Google, Yahoo and eBay object to a clause that they say could give government “unprecedented and sweeping powers” to amend copyright laws.

“We urge you to remove Clause 17 from the bill,” the letter read.

However, the government has said it believes the clause will “future-proof online copyright laws”.

“The law must keep pace with technology, so that the Government can act if new ways of seriously infringing copyright develop in the future,” a spokesperson for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Bis).

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news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8390623.stm