Public rejects 10-year jail sentences for file-sharing in the UK
Jan14
on January 14, 2016
at 12:08 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Copyright infringement, File sharing, Insider, IPO, Open Rights Group, UK
The UK public has overwhelmingly rejected government plans to increase the maximum term for online copyright infringement to 10 years. A consultation by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) saw 98 percent of respondents argue that the sentence would be too harsh, particularly as it is not seen as “a serious crime.” While the change would bring online copyright laws in line with those around physical infringement, people responding to this point argue that the level of investment required, and the intent, are not typically comparable. “Physical requires a sophisticated set up, whereas online can be done quickly, without specialist equipment and sometimes unwittingly,”…
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