UK Proposes Raising Online Copyright Infringement Penalty to 10-Year Prison Sentence

The U.K. IP Office sought comment by Aug. 17 on a proposal to raise the maximum penalty for online copyright infringement at a 10-year prison sentence. The proposal would equalize the penalty for online infringement with the current maximum penalty for physical infringement; the current maximum penalty for online infringement stands at a two-year sentence. U.K. government officials have been exploring raising the penalty for online infringement since 2005, with a 2006 independent review of the nation’s IP laws recommending equalizing the sentences because “the intention and impact of physical and online infringement are the same.” The maximum fine for online infringement has steadily increased since 2005 and is now open-ended. Increasing the possible prison sentence for online infringement would “have a deterrent effect on criminals seeking to make money in this way,” the IP Office said Friday.