Sweden has passed down its first conviction for the use of a file-sharing network. Andreas Bawer (28) has been found guilty of copyright infringement after he distributed a Swedish movie over the Internet.
Bawer was fined 16,000 Swedish kronor, which converts to US$2,000. The verdict was hailed as successful by the entertainment industry, which has previously criticised the Swedish government for being lax on file-sharers.
In handing down the ruling, the court said: "Making a film available to the public on the internet has significant consequences for the film industry. Illegal material can in this way be spread quickly and reach many people..."
