Blog #2 Court of Human Rights: Convictions For File-Sharing Violate Human Rights

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg declared that the copyright monopoly has direct conflict with civil liberties. This statement means that convictions for file-sharing violate human rights. European Court of Human Rights oversees the European Convention on Human Rights, the ECHR is part of the Constitution of the European Union and most European states. The decisions the European Court of Human Rights make, gets constitutional status in all of Europe. There have been many claims about this issue but finally it has reach to the top courts where the verdicts make a real difference. People may still be convicted for file-sharing the verdict doesn't mean never. There are exceptions to the Human Rights in a three-step test: "the verdict must be necessary in a democratic society, prescribed by law , and pursuing a legitimate aim." Now, people that violate the copyright monopoly alone can no longer be convicted for a crime. They declared "it illegal for any court in Europe to convict somebody for breaking the copyright monopoly law when sharing culture, only on the merits of breaking the law." A court must present that a conviction is necessary to defend democracy itself in order to convict somebody who violates the copyright monopoly. This verdict was a good push towards more laws and policies to protect people rights over the internet. The right of freedom of expression and information are human rights that everybody has. In an information age, governments in different countries are trying to censor and control the internet with breakthroughs like this hopefully we can stop governments from ever trying to control the internet.

http://falkvinge.net/2013/02/07/court-of-human-rights-convictions-for-file-sharing-violates-human-rights/