Record companies pissed about downloading again.

The European Commission on Thursday presented a draft directive that punishes copyright infringement for commercial purposes, but leaves the home music downloader untouched, infuriating the entertainment industry.
The proposed directive, meant to harmonize intellectual property right enforcement laws in the 15-nation European Union (EU), aims to strike "a fair balance" between interests of right holders and the opportunities the Internet offers to consumers, according to Commission documents accompanying the draft.
No tougher sanctions are introduced against individuals who download tracks for noncommercial use. Criminal sanctions only apply when copyright infringement is carried out intentionally and for commercial purposes, the Commission said.

Makes sense, I suppose, in that Metallica put everyone offside when they threatened to target individuals, so I presume the commission is hoping to keep people on their side. I don't know if I see it working in practice, though...

posted by James Russell | 7:36 PM