Big Music defeat in Europe
p2pnet news | p2p:- The corporate music industry has suffered a major setback in Europe.
The major labels, “may not be able to demand that telecom companies hand over the details of people they suspect of swapping illegal music downloads, a senior legal adviser to the EU’s highest court said today,” says Times Online, going on:
Juliane Kokott (right), Advocate General to the European Court of Justice said that while it was necessary for such details to be revealed in criminal prosecutions, EU law does not compel telecom companies to make the same disclosures in civil cases.
Her legal opinion aims to help judges come to a final decision when they decide on legal questions put by a Spanish court looking at a complaint made by Spanish music copyright owners against Telefonica, Spain’s largest Internet provider.
The case was lodged by Spanish music and audiovisual association Promusicae after Telefonica refused to hand over the IDs, says PC Pro.
It wanted the names, “so it could start taking action against them,” says the story.
Kokott’s opinion isn’t binding on the court, “but it is followed in around 80 per cent of cases,” adds Times Online.
(Thanks, Howard)
Also See:
Times Online – Identities of online music swappers protected, EU court says, July 18, 2007
PC Pro – EU court boost for music file-sharers, July 18, 2007
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