Sweden’s new anti-file sharing laws have resulted in an immediate 30 percent drop in Internet use. The new file sharing laws that resulted from the landmark Pirate Bay trial are based on the European Union’s Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Directive (IPRED).
This legislation makes it possible to order any Swedish Internet operator to provide details identifying suspected copyright infringers. The effects of the new laws were almost instant. The day the laws came into effect, Netnod reported that Internet traffic was 30 percent on the day before, The Local newspaper said.
Anti-Piracy Agency lawyer Henrik Ponte says this is proof that people are sharing copyrighted material in Sweden and that the fear factor of the law works. “The majority of all internet traffic is file sharing, which is why nothing other than the new IPRED law can explain this major drop in traffic,” he told Metro. “This sends a very strong signal that the legislation works.”
To further encourage Swedish file sharers to abandon their activities, the Swedish Anti-Piracy Agency (Antpiratbyran) wants to send information pamphlets to suspected file sharers’ homes. Whether the small-time pirates can be brought to justice remains to be seen, but the effect of the laws certainly suggest a lot of Swedes are involved in sharing copyrighted material such as movies, games and music.
Use free legal software and be free people. Enjoy your freedom: http://www.ubuntu.com/
Balkanson.
This is not about application software. This is about sharing “copyrighted” stuff like movies and music.
What Swedish a**holes did – they just elevated the battle to the next level. And move much of the business from Sweden to somewhere else.
I mean that soon there will be a solution to share “around” the new law. That’s all.
As to the “intellectual property” – I have very huge doubts. At least I would rather support “pirates” than Hollywood “stars”. I really don’t understand why I should pay my part to the millions of dollars received by Angelina and Brat. If they don’t like to play in movies – they don’t have to. I’m not forcing them :-)
PS. I remember the times when Microsoft was selling Internet Explorer. And Bill Gates was explaining that the price determined by their expenses to develop it etc. I wonder if IE is now an itself-coding software?
@Alexander.
Wow I dont know what´s gotten into you but you are acctually strting to make sense.
As you know, we can never have enough laws to protect the profits of the rich corporations. Does it not make sense to use the people’s tax money to put the people in jail for the sake of corporations? Especially corporations that aren’t even in your country!
Be careful what you click on your computer, Timmy, or you’re going to jail! (And be sure to pay your taxes on time so the jail can be staffed!)