The key problem is that copyright infringement by a private individual is regarded by the court as something so serious that it negates the right to privacy. It’s a sign of the twisted values that copyright has succeeded on imposing on many legal systems. It equates the mere copying of a digital file with serious crimes that merit a prison sentence, an evident absurdity.

This is a good example of how copyright’s continuing obsession with ownership and control of digital material is warping the entire legal system in the EU. What was supposed to be simply a fair way of rewarding creators has resulted in a monstrous system of routine government surveillance carried out on hundreds of millions of innocent people just in case they copy a digital file.

    • @Imperor@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      326 months ago

      GDPR has plenty provisions where other laws or considerations may be more relevant than it, negating it in such cases.

      I still do think the GDPR is extremely important, but it is no silver bullet,sadly.