BT and TalkTalk have failed with an appeal over copyright infringement with regards to online file-sharing. The appeal by the two ISPs was a protest against the UK's Digital Economy Act that was passed in the last few weeks of the Labour government in April 2010. It was back in July 2010 that BT and TalkTalk took their opposition to the Digital Economy Act to the High Court, after both companies filed papers asking for a judicial review of the controversial act. The ISPs' appeal was based on a claim that the Digital Economy Act is incompatible with EU law. It means that, as stated by the Act, internet providers will have to send warning letters to illegal file downloaders (or at least those it deems to be downloading illegally) with the threat of disconnection also a possibility. Christine Payne, general secretary of the Actors' union Equity, praised the decision and said that ISPs should "stop fighting and start obeying the law".