While it may arrive as somewhat of a surprise given the contentious nature of online peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, authorities in Europe have dismissed industry calls to permanently throw suspected file-sharers off the Internet.
European vote dismisses call to suspend Internet access for file-sharers. Credit: RocketRaccoon/Flickr.
More pointedly, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have voted against blocking the Net access of those found to be fond of repeated media file sharing, saying that the enforcement of such a punishment goes against civil liberties and human rights.
“The vote shows that MEPs want to strike a balance between the interests of rights holders and those of consumers, and that big measures like cutting off internet access shouldn’t be used,” commented an official spokeswoman for the European Parliament regarding the vote’s outcome.
European music industry representative the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) has reacted by saying that it wants “a full discussion in the European Parliament in the coming months on how best to address copyright theft online.”
However, while illegal file-sharers across Europe are likely breathing a collective sigh of relief at the result, the BBC News website notes that the MEP vote carries no legal weight throughout the region and individual national governments are still able to enforce anti-piracy actions as they see fit.
For example, French authorities have recently said that online companies are to be made into anti-piracy watchdogs, enabling them to collect information about those naught users found to be regularly sharing copyrighted music and video media files across the Net.
The result of P2P information gathering in France will see guilty parties issued with conduct warnings before facing the potential suspension of their online access.
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