Bulgaria Approves Draft Law That Turns Pirate Site Operators Into Criminals (torrentfreak.com) 24
A draft law that aims to criminalize and prosecute those who "create conditions for online piracy" has been approved by Bulgaria's Council of Ministers. The proposed amendments are Bulgaria's response to heavy criticism from the United States, most publicly via the USTR's Special 301 Reports. It's hoped that prison sentences of up to six years will send a deterrent message. TorrentFreak reports: Last week the Council of Ministers approved draft amendments to the Criminal Code that aim to protect authors, rightsholders, and state revenue. "Crimes against intellectual property should be perceived as acts with a high degree of public danger, not only considering the rights and interests of the individual author, which they affect, but also considering the financial losses for the holders of these rights, which also affects the revenues in the state budget," the explanatory notes read.
The stated aim of the bill is to solve identified weaknesses by upgrading substantive law to counter computer-related crimes against intellectual property. The text references those who "build or maintain" an information system or provide a service to the information society for the purpose of committing crimes. The notes offer further clarification. "The bill aims to prosecute those who create conditions for online piracy -- for example, by building and maintaining torrent tracker sites, web platforms, chat groups in online communication applications for the online exchange of pirated content, and any other activities that may fall within the definition of 'information society service' within the meaning of the Electronic Commerce Act (pdf) and which are carried out with the specified criminal purpose."
The Bulgarian government notes that the amendments are part of its response to criticism in the USTR's Special 301 Report. [When countries are placed on the USTR's 'Watch List' for failing to combat piracy, most can expect years of pressure punctuated by annual Special 301 Reports declaring more needs to be done. Bulgaria was on the Watch List in 2015 when the USTR reported "incremental progress" in the country's ability to tackle intellectual property infringement, albeit nowhere near enough to counter unsatisfactory prosecution rates. In 2018 the United States softened its position toward Bulgaria, removing it from the Watch List on the basis that the government would probably deliver.] The fact that Bulgaria has been absent from the 'Watch List' for the last five years is down to "specific commitments" made by the authorities, with progress being monitored closely by the United States in respect of Bulgaria's future status. The draft approved by the Council of Ministers last week envisions sentences of up to six years imprisonment and a fine of up to $5,600. According to the draft, there is no intent to prosecute individual users who simply consume pirated content.
The stated aim of the bill is to solve identified weaknesses by upgrading substantive law to counter computer-related crimes against intellectual property. The text references those who "build or maintain" an information system or provide a service to the information society for the purpose of committing crimes. The notes offer further clarification. "The bill aims to prosecute those who create conditions for online piracy -- for example, by building and maintaining torrent tracker sites, web platforms, chat groups in online communication applications for the online exchange of pirated content, and any other activities that may fall within the definition of 'information society service' within the meaning of the Electronic Commerce Act (pdf) and which are carried out with the specified criminal purpose."
The Bulgarian government notes that the amendments are part of its response to criticism in the USTR's Special 301 Report. [When countries are placed on the USTR's 'Watch List' for failing to combat piracy, most can expect years of pressure punctuated by annual Special 301 Reports declaring more needs to be done. Bulgaria was on the Watch List in 2015 when the USTR reported "incremental progress" in the country's ability to tackle intellectual property infringement, albeit nowhere near enough to counter unsatisfactory prosecution rates. In 2018 the United States softened its position toward Bulgaria, removing it from the Watch List on the basis that the government would probably deliver.] The fact that Bulgaria has been absent from the 'Watch List' for the last five years is down to "specific commitments" made by the authorities, with progress being monitored closely by the United States in respect of Bulgaria's future status. The draft approved by the Council of Ministers last week envisions sentences of up to six years imprisonment and a fine of up to $5,600. According to the draft, there is no intent to prosecute individual users who simply consume pirated content.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
It is so easy and reasonably priced that I don't feel the need to pirate their stuff. They look like they need the money too.
but will torrent users who simply consume be liste (Score:2)
but will torrent users who simply consume be listed for there uploads / seeds as that is kind of "createing conditions for online piracy"
a fine of $5,600 ?! (Score:2)
A decent size pirate site makes that kind of revenue per day.
Re: (Score:3)
6 years in prison sounds like the shit part of that deal.
Pretty arrogant wording in the bill (Score:5, Insightful)
First, this is pretty myopic weasel wording that ASSUMES there is only ONE context.
What about retro computers where the platform is long dead? Copyright holds culture hostage due to greed. Pirates keep a part of our history alive. What "public danger" is there in sharing old software?>
Second, even a patent attorney can be Against Intellectual Property [mises.org]. Where is the discussion from BOTH sides showing the Positive AND Negatives for IP ?
Re: (Score:2)
In most real hostage situations, the captors generally try to keep their hostages alive instead of just letting em die of starvation.
Re: (Score:3)
First, this is pretty myopic weasel wording that ASSUMES there is only ONE context.
They assume that they own every idea in existence. Therefore there is only one context: They are a bunch of swindlers rent-seeking like the mob.
What about retro computers where the platform is long dead?
"If I ain't makin money off it, youse ain't either!!!!" - Copyright holders. They'd burn down the whole world if it meant them earning a penny.
Pirates keep a part of our history alive. What "public danger" is there in sharing old software?>
The kind they paid their government stooges for: Life ruining circumstances, permanent debt bondage, and fealty to their "superiority." Of course, I've left death off of that list, but only because they have yet to achieve
Re: (Score:2)
Let's face it: copyright theft _is_ stealing, and _should_ be against the law. If there are "extenuating circumstances", exceptions to the rule ... hey, change the rules! But don't blame the owners and authors. Okay, you can blame Mickey Mouse (what a rip!) ... but who's greedy when they refuse to consider paying for what they're stealing? Hey, I've downloaded, copied, played my share of music (looking at YOU, Dire Straits, sorry 'bout that). And maybe a few movies from Youtube or wherever. But they'
Re: (Score:2)
1. Copyright was started by publishers [wikipedia.org] (Licensing of the Press Act 1662) before it became the Statue of Anne [wikipedia.org] (aka Copyright Act 1710) to prevent OTHER publishers from profiting by copying. Disney hijacked copyright extension but the problem was around LONG before.
2. The dangers of long copyright was debated back in 1841 [archive.org] by Thomas Babbington Macaulay.
3. No, copyright is NOT stealing. Lawyers are not idiots. They are EXTREMELY precise in their words:
* Stealing refers to PHYSICAL loss of an object.
* Copyri
Re: (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Russia and Belarus don't care anymore whether they are on some US 'Watch List'
The war is actively removing Russia away from all Western legislation, agreements and legal principles.
Trademarks, criminal justice, human rights - none of those work across Russian-Western borders any more.
Now the question is - how many other countries follow Russia's lead?
Belarus - only as long as it keeps the current regime. The nation itself is very pro-European (well they are Europe). Will the Central Azian states lean towards China, or stay with Russia, or do something else?
Re: (Score:2)
When the West is basically at war with Belarus, you as a westerner, would trust to run software pirated by entities from Belarus? Do you trust it doesn't have trojans that can be weaponized? Generally people trust pirated software to some degree because they trust some cracking groups, some websites, some repackers and such, but that was at a time of peace when politics and military weren't involved.
Re: (Score:2)
Bulgaria Approves Daft Draft Law (Score:3)
Fixed that for ya.
Political context in BG (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
Which makes the sudden urge to spend Bulgarian money protecting (mostly) US corporations, even more nonsensical.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I believe they are heading towards a new round of elections, so money from lobbyists can be put at work in ads, hoping for a good outcome of those said elections.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Political context in BG (Score:2)
Indeed. I've lost count how many general elections we had in the last period.....
So I kind of chuckled that of all the issues BG faces this found a way to a western site.
I know it's tech related, but we get some news about the war on /. , for example, under the "stuff that matters" banner.
So, in that context, the fall of the government last year because it turned out we literally saved Ukraine with ammo and fuel from day one (using Russian refinery with Russian petrol; all the production was redirected to U
Re: (Score:2)