Want to watch the latest season of Game of Thrones? The new Resident Evil maybe? You can subscribe to Netflix on HBO, or purchase it at Blu-Ray. Some time ago, there was another alternative, to move to Netherlands, where pirated copies were allowed.
Since yesterday and with immediate effect, the Dutch government has banned illegal pirated material, following a judgment of the European Court of Justice which considers the entire system to be illegal.
Of course, the Dutch government has long since taken very advanced measures against piracy. Until recently, the download δεν ήταν παράνομο, ενώ το upload για τον διαμοιρασμό αρχείων, ήταν. Αυτό ίσχυε, μέχρι την Πέμπτη. Από την Πέμπτη που μας πέρασε, είναι παράνομο και το download. Για να αντισταθμίσει το ποσό που έχαναν οι δικαιούχοι που επηρεαζόταν από τις παράνομες λήψεις, η ολλανδική κυβέρνηση επέβαλε το τέλος “προσωπικού αντιγράφου” στις πωλήσεις κενών μέσων αποθήκευσης (ισχύει από το 2003), πράγμα που σημαίνει ότι ο καθένας που αγοράζε νέες συσκευές ή αφαιρούμενα μέσα (USB, DVD-R κλπ) έπρεπε να πληρώσει μια μικρή εισφορά. Τα χρήματα που συγκεντρώνονταν από τις εισφορές στη συνέχεια διανέμονταν στους δικαιούχους.
Yesterday, the EU Court ruled that personal copying is in fact illegal, because the system offends those who do not illegally download and come out on the market to buy a storage medium.
In a statement released after this decision, the Court states: “the levy system must ensure a fair balance for copyright, the interests of creators and users. In the fee system, there is no distinction between the legal or illegal nature of the source from which a private claim is made.treatment, and it's not fair.”
For several years now, the Dutch Parliament has repeatedly tried to ban illegal downloads, but it is constantly failing.
The ruling of the EU court, however, overturned the regime, since it explicitly states that transshipment of material infringes copyright law even in the Netherlands.
Following this decision, the Dutch Parliament issued a statement stating that the ban would come into force immediately.
