Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

EU Proposing to Make P2P Piracy A Criminal Offense

Posted by Zonk on from the harsh dept.

brajesh writes "The European Commission is pushing for a proposal (.pdf) to crack down on organized piracy, which could also make indirect copyright infringement a crime across Europe, with implications similar to the recent MGM v. Grokster U.S. Supreme Court ruling. If the directive is adopted, developers who create software for file sharing that is then used for illegal ends could potentially be criminally liable in EU member countries." From the article: "The problem here is some activities, such as the creation of software, can be used for legal and illegal purposes, as is the case with Grokster...It gets really messy, because it is unclear what is legal or not legal, and it is problematic to operate with such abstract terms."

5 of 420 comments (clear)

  1. 'ere now, what's all this? by Stanistani · · Score: 4, Funny

    Crowds of file-sharing enthusiasts herded into makeshift prison camps.

    How nostalgic for Europe.

    --
    You can't talk about Wikipedia's flaws on Wikipedia
  2. Beer! The other p2p by LuciferBlack · · Score: 3, Funny

    I am going to blame beer for making me share sex with girls that I may not have otherwise had sex with. Please governments of the world...save me!

    --
    I'm working on a good joke about your mom being /.'d, but it's not finished yet.
  3. Old adage by qeveren · · Score: 5, Funny

    Better to err on the side of money... er, caution.

    --
    Don't just stand there, get that other dog!
  4. Re:Just end it all, please... by IamGarageGuy+2 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm sensing a bit of negative attitude here.

    --
    Stay tuned for new sig...
  5. Re:But I thought Europe was all about freedom? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    common mistake. Europe is free as in shareware.