Swiss Government Report Says File-Sharing is not a Significant Problem or Concern

A new report by the Swiss government comes to the conclusion that file-sharing is not a significant problem and that existing Swiss law is sufficient enough. Swiss law allows for downloading copyrighted content for personal use. The report studied and rejected three proposed changes to Swiss law when it come to file-sharing: a three-strike law similar to France's, Internet filtering to block sites that traffic in copyrighted files, and collective licensing regime that would impose a fee on all Swiss internet users that would in turn allow for unlimited file-sharing.

The report was conducted at the request of the Swiss legislature, who had expressed concern that rampant copyright infringement was somehow endangering Swiss culture. In the 13-page document, Switzerland's Federal Council (a seven-member executive branch) downplayed those concerns. Using data from the Netherlands (because its demographics and culture are similar) the report estimated that a third of those over the age of 15 in Switzerland share copyrighted works without permission.

The report argued that file-sharing is no great cause for concern because consumers spend a constant share of their disposable income on entertainment expenses. The report concluded that money not used for buying CDs and DVDs was spent on "concerts, movies, and merchandising." The report also concluded that piracy is only a significant concern for "large foreign production companies," and that these large companies need to adapt to consumer behavior instead of seeking further legislative changes.

Source: Ars Technica

Image provided by Shutterstock. All rights reserved.