AfterDawn: News

Korea makes pact with US and steps up piracy enforcement

Last week, US and South Korean officials released the text of the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries. Of course, the agreement contained stong language about intellectual property rights and its enforcement.

Now that the pact is signed Korean P2P users can prepare for stronger enforcement. There will be a new "joint investigation team" that is on notice to operate at the request of any copyright holder and which can shut down any website that "permits the unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or transmission of copyright work."



In their end of the agreement the Korean government pledged to provide "more effective enforcement of intellectual property rights on the Internet" and said it would target P2P networks and services.

South Korea also pledged to give added authority to the "joint investigation team" that would allow it to "take criminal action for online piracy".

Korean and American groups such as the EFF have shown opposition to the new deal because of some of the wording. Reading the agreement suggests that there is a possibility that sites with legitimate uses could be targeted even if 99% percent of their content is legal.

Source:
Arstechnica

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 30 May 2007 14:21

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• 4 comments

• borhan9

  Quote:Korean and American groups such as the EFF have shown opposition to the new deal because of some of the wording. Reading the agreement suggests that there is a possibility that sites with legitimate uses could be targeted even if 99% percent of their content is legal.What do you know here is the catch.

  30.5.2007 19:45 #1

• Wrenchhed

  the Koreans have some brillian programmers, and have very refreshing ideas to offer the world. I think they'll be good players. of course every country has their violators.

  31.5.2007 09:57 #2

• Shibal

  The Koreans do have some good programers but the real people that are going to be hurt by this are 600k or so foriegners that are living in Korea and have limited access materials in English. The internet opens up the things that are available to these people. I know as an Ameircan teaching in Korea that the amount of shows that are English is very small and that even finding books to read is often hard. These new rules and things are going to alienate many of the forgieners living here already.

  6.6.2007 02:41 #3

• Unfocused

  Quote:shut down any website that "permits the unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or transmission of copyright work."So, being that many of the bootleg releases are studio pre Screener copies, does this mean that there will be no more web sites for the RIAA, MPAA, and all the production studios?
  
  What is that old saying; Judge not others lest you be judged yourself?

  28.6.2007 07:35 #4