Websites which facilitate massive illegal downloads from the Internet, in contravention of the rights of the authors, can avoid prosecution if they withdraw the “links or contents” within 24 hours of being notified of pending prosecution under Sinde’s law.
This is the first novelty introduced under the revised Sinde’s Law which aims to prosecute and close down websites which facilitate illegal downloading of films, music, books, software and video games.
Some 78.6% of cultural digital material downloaded from the Internet in Spain contravenes the rights of the authors. There has been a 3.4% increase in illegal downloading over the last year.
The industry claims that the revenue from this “illegal business” totaled 1,511 million euros in the last six months of 2010 when some 5,562 million euros of pirate material was downloaded.
The Ministry of Culture has signaled that the first website closures under Sinde’s Law will take place in September this year.
