About 10% of Swedes use the internet to
download copyrighted files, and as of today
each one is a
criminal. Previously, offering copyrighted files for download was illegal in Sweden, but for the first time
downloading them is as well. Everybody quoted in the AP article is pretty sure that this new law will really amount to
nothing unless someone is actually jailed under the new law, because prosecutors won't go after cases if a fine is all
that's likely to result.
1. I am very curious about the criminalization of copyright infringement.
How is it that various corporations can infringement copyrights (commercial records containing samples of other songs), which result in only settlements and not prosecution?
Clearly these commercial violations of copyright should have a penalty attached?
Is it the choice of the prosecutors to not try the case?
Is it a matter of retroactive licensing?
Posted at 4:32AM on Dec 19th 2005 by no one in paticular