np How the web turned into a minefield

[Otto]

How the web turned into a minefield
New EU legislation coming into force next week could turn such innocuous
activities as downloading files and playing CDs into a criminal offence.

Dominic Timms, Monday October 27, 2003
The Guardian

For years, we have taken the freedoms of the internet for granted - watching
the latest movie before it hits cinemas or downloading our favourite music
or books. If you live in Europe, it is unlikely that you either paid for
these experiences or worried unduly about the legality of them. From the end
of this month, however, new European copyright laws will limit your access
to some online material and make downloading or copying certain things -
even if they are solely for your personal use - a criminal offence.

The Orwellian-sounding European Union Copyright Directive (EUCD) is designed
to update copyright protection for the internet age and harmonise laws
across Europe. Its wording is long and complex, but the thrust of its main
proposals is simple: devices that allow you to play legitimately acquired,
but copy-protected, CDs or DVDs on your PC will be illegal, and file sharers
could face an unlimited fine or a jail term of up to two years.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4782997-111163,00.html