A 60-year-old Swedish man who admitted to sharing 2,880 music tracks on Direct Connect has been sentenced after he stood trial last week.
The file-sharer received a so called “day fine” which equals 40 days’ worth of his income, and 2-years probation.
Although this man probably escapes jail time, others in a similar position may actually end up in jail. It is therefore no surprise that the case once again opens the debate whether jail time is an appropriate punishment for sharing songs.
Former Pirate Party leader Rick Falkvinge puts things in perspective on his blog, and notes that other crimes such as sexual abuse of a child, rape and armed robbery have received lower sentences.
“I have no words. This needs to come to senses. The copyright monopoly needs to dismantle, the worst pieces first. One of those worst pieces is obviously the one that could put a man in jail for two years for sharing music,” Falkvinge writes.
“Two years ago, when these and similar laws were written, I said that the politicians are acting like drunken blindfolded elephants trumpeting about in an egg packaging facility. Now, we are starting to see the results.”
