The European Union Parliament is attempting to make its first harmonized criminal code. This particular legislation would make piracy a felony. The maximum penalty must be at least 300,000 euros and/or up to four years in prison if the crime is committed by a criminal organization or offenses that endangers others' health and safety. Lesser penalties can include criminal or civil fines of up to 100,000 euros. Although this law may seem harsh, it does not apply to those who just share files privately and do not receive any monetary benefits, ie. those who share the file with a friend and do not sell them to others.
This new law does not seem unreasonable to me. Those who try to sell copyrighted information are committing a far more serious crime than those who just share it with a friend for no monetary gain. This would be similar to stealing clothes or another tangible item and then selling it on the street. The punishment for lesser penalties seems similar to what the US has; however the punishment of imprisonment for larger crimes does seem a bit over the top. Also, I think labelling this crime as a felony is kind of ridiculous as it pales in comparison to other crimes that are considered felonies.
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