British government considers prison sentences of up to 10 years for piracy

The British government is considering raising prison sentences for piracy. Where there is currently a maximum of two years in prison for online copyright infringement, there are plans to increase this to a maximum of ten years.

British ministers have launched a public consultation round to respond to the plans, the BBC reports. The maximum term of ten years in prison has been chosen because it is the same as the term for copyright infringement on physical goods. Increasing the maximum penalty should also ensure that online pirates are deterred.

It is currently unclear whether the plans will materialize. It is likely that the consultation round will cause a heated debate between copyright holders and consumer organizations. The government states that stricter penalties are needed to deter people from still downloading illegally and to better protect companies that offer content. Copyright holders’ associations have also repeatedly called for stricter action on illegal downloading in the United Kingdom.

Currently, there is a maximum jail term of two years for online copyright infringement. In the UK there has been a movement for some time to tighten up copyright rules. Earlier, the British High Court ruled that it is no longer allowed to make a home copy of, for example, a CD or DVD. Copyright holders would not be sufficiently compensated for this.