Spain Fast Tracks P2P Site Shutdowns

[p2p rules]

The Spanish cabinet has today passed legislation that will enable the authorities to shut down file-sharing sites more rapidly. The new legislation gives in to the demands of the US and local copyright lobby, who see Spain’s lenient copyright law as a thorn in their side.

Operating a file-sharing oriented website without profiting directly from infringements falls within the boundaries of the law in Spain. In an attempt to change this situation, the Spanish Government has today passed new legislation under which sites offering links to copyright works could be taken offline within days of a complaint.

Under the new law, a newly formed Intellectual Property Commission will file complaints with a judge, who will then have to decide within four days whether or not a site should be pulled offline. The law is the result of an extensive lobby from the entertainment industries who have criticized Spain’s lenient stance towards file-sharing sites.

torrentfreak