Sweden edition

Fresh clampdown on internet piracy

Published: 9 Jul 07 13:36 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/7835/20070709/

The Swedish Justice Department has launched a new proposal that would enable copyright holders to find out the identities of people illegally sharing their material on the internet. The proposal was released by the department for formal consultation on Monday.

Swedes out in force to protest anti-piracy law (4 Feb 12)
Supreme Court denies Pirate Bay right to appeal (1 Feb 12)
Dutch court orders ISPs to block Pirate Bay (12 Jan 12)

Should the draft proposal result in new legislation it would allow copyright holders to turn to the courts for assistance in demanding that internet providers reveal the identities of people suspected of sharing files containing copyrighted material.

The aim of the proposal is to facilitate efforts to clamp down on illegal file-sharing. This in turn is expected to stimulate the development of lawful alternatives for the spread of music and movies over the internet, according to a statement from the Justice Department.

Tobias Andersson, press spokesman for lobby organization Piratbyrån, was critical of the move.

"This is completely crazy," he said, before adding that "it is time to stop pampering the record industry".

"The danger here is that it will speed up the development of anonymous file-sharing programmes that make it technically more difficult to trace somebody's internet use. These kinds of services can also be exploited by people involved in criminal activities, such as paedophiles".

Unsurprisingly Henrik Pontén, from film industry lobby group Antipiratbyrån, was more inclined to accentuate the positives.

"Legislation of this kind has already existed in Denmark and Finland for a long time and has proved to be effective and legally sound," he said in a statement.

TT/The Local (news@thelocal.se/08 656 6518)


Fark It!	Digg This	Share everywhere
Send to a friend	Printable version	Twitter This

Today's headlines

Disgruntled 'Black Cobra' threatens hairdresser

A man in southern Sweden has been charged with assault after threatening to ‘bring in his gang’ to a local hairdressing salon after being refused a haircut. READ (6 COMMENTS) »

SKIING IN SWEDEN

Five reasons I can't stand skiing: an Aussie's pain

Having just returned from a ‘horror ski trip’, The Local’s resident Aussie and first-time skier Oliver Gee wonders why Swedes find such pleasure in hurling themselves down snowy hills. READ (6 COMMENTS) »

'Drunkorexia' on the rise in Sweden: report

An increasing number of young Swedes are starving themselves by day to be able to binge on calorie-rich alcoholic drinks by night, as a well known phenomenon in the US is becoming more common in Sweden. READ (5 COMMENTS) »

Swedes' anti-gay flyers not free speech: court

Sweden’s Supreme Court was right to convict four men of hate crimes for distributing "offensive" homophobic flyers at a school, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled. READ (3 COMMENTS) »

'Dapper' Stockholm axe man attacks 71-year-old

A 71-year-old was attacked in central Stockholm at the end of January by a “well-dressed” man, threatening to kill him while splitting his skull in two with an axe. READ (6 COMMENTS) »

Stockholm train in violent crash with truck

Several passengers on a commuter train were taken to hospital and the train driver had to be cut loose by emergency services after a train and a truck collided in Stockholm on Thursday morning. READ (3 COMMENTS) »

H&M under fire over Cambodia mass faintings

H&M has been criticized for choosing not to attend a hearing to highlight poor conditions for textile workers in Cambodia, where hundreds of employees at a plant run by the Swedish fashion giant mysteriously passed out in August. READ (5 COMMENTS) »

28/10 Mass faintings at H&M factory in Cambodia »

Two Swedes arrested for sex crimes in New York

Two high-ranking Swedish executives with an e-commerce start-up have been charged with sexually assaulting a teenager in a New York hotel room at the weekend. READ (24 COMMENTS) »

More Society

20 things to know before moving to Sweden

As diverse as Sweden is, there are a few societal norms that are distinctly Swedish. Understanding a handful of them will hopefully prepare you culturally before you relocate. When you're invited home to a Swede, you better be on time and take your shoes off, writes expat Lola Akinmade-Åkerström. Read more »

How far can English take you in Sweden?

Sweden is a country where almost everyone can speak English. So why bother to learn Swedish? Edina Varnagy from Hungary managed with English for a whole year but then found that Swedish could open doors – to a job, a social life and greater understanding. Read more »

Click here to get more from Follow Sweden

News from the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Today's most read Today's most commented

More popular articles »

Blog Update: The Diplomatic Dispatch

07 February 12:55

Queen of Diamonds »

"You know what they say about London buses: you wait ages for one then two come at once. So it is with blogs. This week (6 February, in fact) marks an historic day for Britain. 60 years ago, a young Princess became Queen. It was a Britain very different from today. Still a colonial power in much..." READ »

03/2 14:27 Digital Growth and Flying French Fries (Brits Mean Business)
29/1 22:20 Present on a Sunday afternoon (Julie's Nordic Island)
26/1 17:22 Long time listener, first time caller (Snuggling With the Enemy)

Highlights

LIFESTYLE »

What's On: The Local's guide to upcoming attractions and events in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö.

Fresh clampdown on internet piracy

In cooperation with DoToday