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