A few weeks ago, France declared war… against Internet piracy. By adopting a three-strike law that could ultimately disconnect Internet access for its violators, the French government took an unprecedented stance on the illegal, online sharing of music and movies. In response, many Internet advocacy groups quickly disputed that such drastic measures would be a clear violation of fundamental rights, not just as citizens but as consumers. This past Thursday, however, the European Parliament and EU member states sided with the French government in its decision to expand the ability to cut off Internet access beyond what had solely been entrusted with judicial authority. Many in the Chinese business community publicly recognize that piracy poses a threat to growth and innovation. UK video platform VODO – founded by filmmaker/technologist Jamie King – has taken initiative in slowly trying to translate PSP views to money for independent filmmakers. What had seemed a colossal victory against piracy eight years ago with the shut down of Napster, now seems to have come around full-circle with a global outbreak of file-sharing. This week’s new iTunes release, “Steal This Film“, documents the steadfast movement against intellectual property, and features prominent players in the Swedish piracy culture such as the Pirate Bay, Piratbyran (Piracy Bureau) and the Pirate Party. As the piracy battles rage on in the courtrooms, the war online seems pretty lopsided.
Other Documentary titles now on iTunes: Chuck Close // A Life Without Pain // The Big Question
