EU backs tighter rules on piracy

[Renew Deal]

“ …The directive allows companies to raid homes, seize property and ask courts to freeze bank accounts to protect trademarks or intellectual property they believe are being abused or stolen …”

“Civil liberty and lobby groups feared that the music industry will also use the law to mount raids on the homes of people who swap songs via file-sharing systems such as Kazaa.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3545839.stm

[frylock]

1. that could explain why sharereactor and jigle are down..

if you use Overnet or eDonkey, you know what I'm talking about. :mad:

[Kellanved]

2. no

The law has yet to be implemented into national law - that might take well over a year.

and:
--snip
...
But late amendments added to the law limited who intellectual property owners could take action against and what penalties they could apply.

One amendment said action should not be taken against consumers who download music "in good faith" for their own use.

...
--snap

[linazelle]

3. Raid homes to protect intellectual property?

Sounds like the same sort of overreaction BushCo had to invading Iraq. There's no imminent threat in waiting for due process if intellectual property theft is suspect just as there was not one in Iraq. I bet BushCo's totally on board with this. Sounds just like them.