Illegal file downloading and sharing is believed to be widespread across Europe
Swedish web traffic halves after new P2P law
/v3-uk/news/2002759/swedish-web-traffic-halves-p2p-law
04 Apr 2009, Phil Muncaster , V3
Internet traffic in Sweden has plummeted after a tough new anti-piracy law was enacted in the country earlier this week, casting interesting new light on the extent of illegal file sharing.
The new law requires copyright holders such as record and entertainment companies to go through the courts to determine the identities of those suspected of piracy, via their IP addresses.
The anonymity that illegal file sharers have enjoyed made the practice widespread, although figures vary as to exactly how commonplace it is in various countries.
However, traffic to Netnod Internet Exchange AB, a Swedish firm which manages many of the country's key internet exchanges, reported a drop of around half since Wednesday, when the law took effect. Throughput has yet to pick up.
Data transmission rates have slumped from a peak of 190Gbit/s to 200Gbit/s to daily highs since Wednesday of about 100Gbit/s. At the time of writing, the figure was around 80Gbit/s.
Along with its Scandinavian neighbours, Sweden has one of the most mature internet industries in the world, with a highly developed fibre-optic broadband infrastructure. The figures will be a shock to many, as they point a potentially high prevalence of illegal file sharing.
France yesterday showed its commitment to eradicate illegal file sharing after passing a 'three strikes law' which decrees that persistent offenders can be suspended from using the internet for a period of time. However, moves to get the law enacted at a European level have met with more opposition.
UK communications minister Lord Carter's Digital Britain interim report released in January proposed the creation of a Rights Agency to deal with the problem of the illegal copying and sharing of music and films over the internet.
However, controversially, he stated that the funding may have to come from ISPs, which in turn could pass the costs on to customers.
Last summer, six leading UK ISPs agreed to establish a code of practice for dealing with the sharing of copyright material over the internet, to be developed in conjunction with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
© Incisive Media Investments Limited 2010, Published by Incisive Financial Publishing Limited, Haymarket House, 28-29 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4RX, are companies registered in England and Wales with company registration numbers 04252091 & 04252093
Do you agree?
appalling censorship
first get censorship passed for something many people think is ok. Once the system is established censor the bete noir of the moment for example freedom of speech about the holocaust as in Germany or if you are a muslim fundamentalist any criticsm of the prophet or the Koran or... and it goes on.
There should be no censorship in a free country.
Anyway IP and copyright laws are very badly drafted. Why is a new meecine protected for 20 years while a new tune is protected for 70 years and more? it is ridiculous. Fix these stupid laws and many of the criminals will no longer be criminals.
Governments are so stupid.
Posted by Malcolm Wilson, 10 Apr 2009
haw haw haw
Unalinable rights only go so far, I guess.
Remember when all of the industries kept saying the same things about other things? Radio, T.V., movie theaters, casettes? This time around they've whined loud enough to get all of the idiot politicians to go along with it.
Posted by N = R* fp ne fe fi fc L, 06 Apr 2009
Bull!
How much did the IFPI pay to have those figures reported?
Posted by Old Man Dotes, 04 Apr 2009
Stealing bunch of thieves
What a bunch of entittled brats. Why I should borrow your car without paying you for using it?
Posted by Buster Chopps, 05 Apr 2009
ummm
"Why I should borrow your car without paying you for using it?"
Because I'd still have my car. You'd have copied it, not denied me access to it.
Posted by sad panda, 06 Apr 2009
sweden
Sounds like a lot of bandwidth will no longer be needed. Wonder how many people will chunk their subscriptions all together for home isp service.
Posted by bbee, 06 Apr 2009
Not good for Sweden or Europe!
Right now this will affect Swedish traffic, yes it will! Though, I have a feeling this will spread quickly throughout Europe, as it has opened the European countries to talks on stopping piracy in their countries too. Hence me saying that European traffic, if piracy laws take over, will be at least halved.
www.techcombo.com
Posted by TechCombo, 10 Apr 2009