For downloading from the Internet in Germany is now imprisoned up to 5 years

In Germany, since the beginning of 2008, amendments to the copyright law. Downloading music and movies from the Internet is now, in some cases, is a crime. In the past, the vague wording of the law specified in the direction of tightening of liability for copyright infringement, Deutsche Welle reports with reference to the German Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media (BITKOM).

Under the new law, the use of "obviously illegal" Internet links is punishable. Therefore, warns BITKOM, more caution should be treated with any free offers to download audio and video. As in the past, allowed to make copies of purchased CD, DVD-ROM drive for personal use or for friends. Number of copies of the law does not say, however, the German courts in recent years, determine the maximum allowable rate of 7 copies.

As pointed out by BITKOM, is now expressly forbidden to make copies of CDs to bypass the copy protection. According to the law, such a copy is considered to be "pirated" its production can be punished with imprisonment up to 5 years. Offense is also illegal copying of recorded discs. As a rule, should be especially careful with any copies of feature films, as in the present, almost all DVD-drives are protected from copying.

Germany is now each time downloading content on the Web need to think about how it is the law of association also advises not to trust too cheap disks with music, movies or software that Germans often buy, while on vacation in other countries. Often, these drives are professionally make pirated copies, which in the case of detection will be confiscated by the German customs.

With no less caution should be approached to placing material on blogs and personal web pages. For example, if the owner of the resource places a video on a vacation, accompanied by popular song, the first he has to buy the rights to use the track in the German organization Gema, collecting contributions for the benefit of the authors of musical works.

The fight against piracy is gaining momentum in other European countries. Mainly concerned about the growing power of the spread of illegal content on the Internet. Thus, in November 2007, leading providers and representatives of the music and film industries in France in the presence of President of the Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy (Nikolas Sarkozy) have signed an agreement providing for the responsibility for piracy as an offender off the Internet. However, until an agreement is not legally binding. In summer 2008, the relevant bill will be discussed at the parliamentary hearings.

A similar punishment for illegal file-sharing involved want to enter the British policy. Also, instead of administration, it is proposed to approve the criminal responsibility for the authors of "screen" copies of films.

A source