Parents Must Identify Pirate Kids or Pay Their Fines, Court Rules

[Zarathustra[H]]

Germany's Federal Court of Justice this week ruled that if parents are aware that their children have committed copyright infringement they must identify them to the court, or pay their fines. This was a ruling in a case stemming from a 2011 distribution of an album by Rihanna by a minor.

This may not seem entirely strange to many here in the U.S, as we are used to parents taking responsibility for the actions of their underage children by, for instance, paying for any damage their kids cause. In Germany, however, this was slightly more controversial legally, as local law protects family members from having to testify against each other.

I'd imagine this ruling may result in families in future cases "having no idea" who might have illegally downloaded something on their connections.

The Court did throw potential future defendants a lifeline, however. If the Internet account holder does not know the name of the infringer, he or she is not obliged to monitor the Internet usage of other family members or to examine computers for the existence of file-sharing software.

 

[nutzo]

If this was a California parent: It couldn't be my kid... They would never do something like that.
And yes, I'm allowed to trash the state because I live here

 

[MavericK]

What happens in the case of the former? They try to fine the underaged kids directly?

 

[dgingeri]

Thankfully, this is in Germany. The US already has precedent that allows parents, children, and spouses to not be forced into such circumstances that have been around for many decades.

 

[Ur_Mom]

Snitches get stitches.

I'd be scared of the Menendez brothers outcome.

 

[Dead Parrot]

.... The Court did throw potential future defendants a lifeline, however. If the Internet account holder does not know the name of the infringer, he or she is not obliged to monitor the Internet usage of other family members or to examine computers for the existence of file-sharing software.

So parents with many kids who have lots of visiting friends get off while parents with only one kid have to pay up? Wonder how that will work out?

 

[Makaveli@BETA]

Wow Germany is starting to sound like Australia.

 

[Ur_Mom]

What a bunch of Nazi's....

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

Isn't it a right to not self-incriminate in the USA?

Well, yes. But we don't extend the legal definition of "self" to include our families.

 

[Krab]

If this was a California parent: It couldn't be my kid... They would never do something like that.
And yes, I'm allowed to trash the state because I live here

Yeah that's definitely exclusive to California.

Where was the affluenza kid from? Oh right, Texas.

 

[Hitti2]

Fuck judges.