Thread: File-Sharing Fine in Sweden Makes US Courts Look Ridiculous

Most of you are probably familiar with the totally absurd fines that illegal file-sharers in US are often given when copyright holders take them to court. The most notorious remains perhaps the case of ”the file-sharing mom”, Jammie Thomas-Rasset who’s been ordered to pay $ 1.92 million (initially) to the music industry for sharing via p2p networks 24 songs for which she didn’t have permission. Eventually, the copyright infringement damage fee was set to “only” $1.5 million which is $62,500 for each and every song she traded. Fortunately, the judicial system in other countries seems to have a more sane perspective on things; recently, a court in Sweden awarded a man charged with making available on file-sharing sites 44 songs with a much, much more reasonable fine of about $300, (2,000 kronor). This means the infringer has to pay about $7 per each track he shared. Well, I’d say from $62,500 to $7 there’s a notable difference. So notable, in fact, that will surely catch the attention of the industry and its obeying dogs. Probably, not longer after, Sweden will start feeling the US pressure because when it comes to copyright infringement America knows best, right? And it does has its ways to persuade others that doubt it.




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