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Originally posted on MSFN.org
Internet users who illegally download music face having their homes raided and properties seized under a crackdown on piracy backed yesterday by the European Parliament.

New legislation will target the illegal piracy of a host of products, including sports merchandise, designer handbags and medical products as well as music downloaded from the internet.

The initiative is aimed at criminals who counterfeit for commercial gain as part of a multibillion-pound network. However, civil rights campaigners fear that small-scale internet file sharers will also be vulnerable to the legislation. Yesterday, the European Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new anti-piracy directive. Members of the EU, including the UK Government, will have two years to incorporate the directive into national law.

The main thrust of the new bill consists of the civil penalties that will face counterfeiters of any form, who will face the seizure of their property and bank accounts if they are found guilty in a national court. An earlier proposal for criminal sanctions against those illegally counterfeiting was dropped from yesterday's final directive.

Piracy cost European businesses an estimated £5.4bn a year between 1998 and 2001, according to figures released by the EU's head office.

Up to five million British computer owners are expected legally to download 30 million songs this year. However, the industry is being threatened by the arrival of hundreds of unofficial sites enabling millions of users to download music illegally.

While the new directive proposes the targeting of those who counterfeit on a commercial rather than a personal scale, there were fears that difficulties would arise in attempting to differentiate between the two categories.

The new directive will create a single set of rules that will apply to the entire EU, including the 10 nations that join on 1 May.

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screw them, we have burnable cds, they cant stop that lol. screw em all...

I’d usually take notice this and find it interesting but unfortunately I've heard this so many times I don't seem to hold this in a high amount of respect. There are so many people out there doing illegal downloads\uploads they will not likely target P2P users. Although personably I think these people should target more serious problems like Drug Dealing. I am also highly against people downloading music and selling copies on the market cheaply I believe this to be fraud, not individuals who want a music collection.

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Originally posted by tomfletcherman
screw them, we have burnable cds, they cant stop that lol. screw em all...

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yesterday by the European Parliament.

not canada

Ah yes indeed, it is good to be Canadian.

I figure as soon as they come out with a client that breaks the 99cent barrier(canadian of course) that has no restrictions on the songs, and places them on my hardrive, and allows me to burn them as many times as I want etc. I will pay for music. Until then...screw em

This week the big musiclabel Warner Bros fired thousands of people worldwide and stopped selling many musicians albums all because they lost major money over the past years because of illegal downloads. The last two albums they going to produce/sell are the new one from Novastar and one from Garry Hagger... Sony Music is going to have a cut-back too.

Because of this, some European musicians and bands are going to stop making music, cause they couldn't get contracts anymore and thus they couldn't sell/make new albums and thus, they can't live on it anymore...

A big thank you to all people who downloaded music (for private use), from the European musicians and the fired workers...

If prices were lowered, people wouldn't illegally download music. It's simple. Do music artists really need that much money anyway? That goes for all of the places the money goes...

Isn't it just illegal to upload but prefectly legal to download? that's what i've been hearing over this whole deal.

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Originally posted by Banks
Isn't it just illegal to upload but prefectly legal to download? that's what i've been hearing over this whole deal.

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Originally posted by Banks
Isn't it just illegal to upload but prefectly legal to download? that's what i've been hearing over this whole deal.

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Actually some artists are now bringing the lawsuits to the record labels, because the record labels are hogging money. That includes the RIAA
only a dollar per cd roughly goes to the artist, and they do all the work. I would gladly buy cd's if it supported the artist, but for now i'll just get concert tickets...

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Originally posted by Banks
Isn't it just illegal to upload but prefectly legal to download? that's what i've been hearing over this whole deal.

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Originally posted by stonesour
only a dollar per cd roughly goes to the artist, and they do all the work

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dz got a point but i still think they deserve more from an album sale

well they arent doing ALL the work but lets face it... if the artists didnt write the songs sing them etc the record companies wouldnt have squat

oh dude, thats so gay... why dont have any rights to go into your house to look for music??? what about freedom of speech, isn't  Music is a way of speech.... and if you have that in your hosue they cant take it away from you

This is so dumb, and I probably am not makign any sence but they really have no right to do this. 

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Originally posted by GiantSpider
The initiative is aimed at criminals who counterfeit for commercial gain as part of a multibillion-pound network. However, civil rights campaigners fear that small-scale internet file sharers will also be vulnerable to the legislation.

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Originally posted by bach_m
it depends on the country. in many countries (like the US) neither is legal. its just not easy to catch a DLer...

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