Decriminalising File Swapping

Judicial activism is taking hold in France, much to the dismay of the recording industry, as judges are beginning to suspend the sentences of convicted file swappers. Further, they believe they are starting a revolution against the draconian laws at the base of the industry’s legal agenda, and that sometimes laws need to be changed. Says Judge Dominique Barella of the laws against file swapping in today’s society: It is similar to the sociological consequences of the Prohibition period in the U.S. (during the 1920s). Certain laws can have unexpected consequences on society