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posted by Fnord666 on Saturday February 10 2018, @12:54PM   Printer-friendly
from the don't-even-think-about-it dept.

Over at TorrentFreak there is an article about aggressive prosecution for even talking about the streaming service Popcorn Time.

A man from Denmark has been handed a six-month conditional prison sentence for spreading information about Popcorn Time. In what is being described as a first for Europe, the man was convicted after telling people how to download, install and use the movie streaming service. He was also ordered to forfeit $83,300 in ad revenue and complete 120 hours community service.

[...] Importantly, PopcornTime.dk hosted no software, preferring to link to other sites where the application could be downloaded instead. That didn't prevent an aggressive prosecution though and now, two-and-half years later, the verdict's in and it's bound to raise more than a few eyebrows.

Neither this specific case nor questions about the service in general have played out yet. Control over playback and distribution and the grey area in between have been hotly contested for decades, and will continue to be for the forseeable future. The first big, international case being the one against Jon Lech Johansen in Norway. Recently, with the integration of digital restrictions into the very standards making up the web, things will become more difficult in the area of distribution and playback.

Source : Man Handed Conditional Prison Sentence for Spreading Popcorn Time Information


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  • (Score: 4, Informative) by Runaway1956 on Saturday February 10 2018, @04:12PM (8 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Saturday February 10 2018, @04:12PM (#636028) Journal

    That portion of TFS is just inaccurate. Dude ran a site, specifically for the purpose of dissemination of information about popcorn. Note that his advertising earnings were taken, but he wasn't fined or penalized financially any further. He was promoting something that the government deems to be illegal. Although I disagree with the illegality of popcorn, we must note that the government didn't punish him terribly disproportionately to the supposed crime. They COULD HAVE fined him millions more than he'll ever make in this lifetime, and sentenced him to ten consecutive lifetimes in prison, without possibility of parole. Again - I disagree that his actions should be illegal, but the government did exercise some restraint.

    Meanwhile, other people are talking about popcorn, on other venues, which aren't dedicated to the promotion of popcorn. It doesn't appear that the government has prosecuted all of those people.

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  • (Score: 3, Funny) by takyon on Saturday February 10 2018, @04:17PM

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Saturday February 10 2018, @04:17PM (#636030) Journal

    Your comment gave me popcorn lung.

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  • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Saturday February 10 2018, @05:23PM (2 children)

    by JoeMerchant (3937) on Saturday February 10 2018, @05:23PM (#636063)

    Meanwhile, other people are talking about popcorn, on other venues, which aren't dedicated to the promotion of popcorn. It doesn't appear that the government has prosecuted all of those people.

    When they start showing obvious personal gains from their illegal activities, that's when it's worth the effort to go erase those gains.

    Sentimentally, I agree with the French stance on copyright, and I think the whole immortal Mickey Mouse copyright is a cautionary tail about immortality in general (and the great and powerful evil it inevitably becomes, from the perspective of mortals...)

    Meanwhile, what's the point in having laws if you don't at least attempt to enforce them?

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    • (Score: 3, Funny) by JNCF on Saturday February 10 2018, @06:21PM

      by JNCF (4317) on Saturday February 10 2018, @06:21PM (#636086) Journal

      the whole immortal Mickey Mouse copyright is a cautionary tail

      Don't forget about his cautionary ears!

    • (Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday February 10 2018, @06:36PM

      by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Saturday February 10 2018, @06:36PM (#636093) Journal

      Meanwhile, what's the point in having laws if you don't at least attempt to enforce them?

      Legislative theater - to show they care.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 11 2018, @01:37AM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 11 2018, @01:37AM (#636200)

    Although I disagree with the illegality of popcorn, we must note that the government didn't punish him terribly disproportionately to the supposed crime. They COULD HAVE fined him millions more than he'll ever make in this lifetime, and sentenced him to ten consecutive lifetimes in prison, without possibility of parole. Again - I disagree that his actions should be illegal, but the government did exercise some restraint.

    I think that's not so much "government restraint" as it is "he was tried in Europe, not in the US". The legal system in most European countries is not oriented on punishment, but on rehabilitation.

    In the US, the general idea seems to be that for the good of the society, aberrant elements should be removed and excessive punishment should act as a deterrent for others. In Europe, on the other hand, it is generally assumed that the society is better helped by rehabilitation and reintegration. Naturally, USians tend to be horrified by the European approach, and vice-versa :)

    • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday February 11 2018, @01:45AM (1 child)

      by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Sunday February 11 2018, @01:45AM (#636203) Journal

      Yeah, Julian Assange and I were talking about those differences recently. Thank God for European justice!!

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 11 2018, @05:59AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 11 2018, @05:59AM (#636277)

        Do you think before you spout bullshit? [wikipedia.org]

        In November 2010, a request was made for Assange’s extradition to Sweden, where he had been questioned months earlier over allegations of sexual assault and rape.[6] Assange continued to deny the allegations, and expressed concern that he would be extradited from Sweden to the United States because of his perceived role in publishing secret American documents.

        European justice: where the absolutely worst thing they can do to you is extradite you to the US.

        (Every single case I've read about where US demanded extradition of Europeans, the accused were fighting tooth and nail to instead be tried in Europe... usually for the exact same crimes.)

  • (Score: 1) by TuxPower on Sunday February 11 2018, @08:50AM

    by TuxPower (1815) on Sunday February 11 2018, @08:50AM (#636309)

    They COULD HAVE fined him millions more than he'll ever make in this lifetime, and sentenced him to ten consecutive lifetimes in prison, without possibility of parole.

    He would never have gotten a lifetime sentence as that is only possible to get if you commit murder, rape, arson, drug dealings (large amounts) or acts of terror and even if you get sentenced to life in prison you only get one lifetime sentence.

    Furthermore if you do get sentenced to life in prison you are up for parole after 12 years and you will on average serve 17 years. The longest lifetime sentence served i Denmark was 33 years and 8 months and he killed 4 policemen.

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