A recent court ruling will have sent a shiver down the spine of those who illegally download films or music from the internet.
Queenslander James Burt ( 24 ) was hit with a $ 1.5 million penalty because he downloaded a Nintendo game, put it on the net - and allowed others free access before it was officially released in Australia.
It seems that computer technology has advanced to the point that individuals who illegally download can be identified, and the owners of movies and music are now going to court to reclaim their stolen intellectual property.
To many people downloading entertainment seems to be a victimless crime. It was all about the freedom of the internet in the first flush of enthusiasm, but now the loss factor is so huge that intellectual property owners are striking back.
The likely factor would be to randomly select a number of people who have infringed the copyright law - and go after them in court. The likely penalty would be huge and would probably strip that individual of their home, car and bank account.
That sort of penalty - and the prospect of being randomly selected for prosecution - would make most people hesitate before tapping the download button !
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