30/04/2003

Anyone caught buying or selling black market CDs and/or DVDs in Italy could find themselves paying a hefty fine. A decree that regulates copyright, in accordance with EU directive n°2001/29/CE, passed on 22 May 2001, is now law. Fines vary from a minimum of Euros154 to a maximum of Euros1,032 and those who copy or trade in illegal CDs or DVDs, even on the Internet, could find themselves facing a four-year jail term. These penalties also apply to anyone caught sidestepping the technology that protects these formats from being copied illegally. The law also gave Siae (the Italian Editors’ and Authors’ Society) greater powers of inspection.

(Translated from Italian)