U2 Boss Says Copyright’s In Tatters

U2 manager Paul McGuinness has called on the government to urgently reform rules on Internet piracy, after an Irish judge ruled the country’s laws don’t permit the courts to block illegal downloading and file sharing.

He was commenting on Mr. Justice Peter Charleton’s decision to deny an Irish High Court action brought by Warner Music, Universal Music, Sony BMG and EMI Records Oct. 11, which tried to force Internet service providers including UPC to adopt the “three strikes” rule to halt copyright infringement and piracy by Internet users.

Judge Charleton said the “three strikes” law isn’t enforceable in Ireland.

“This is extremely bad for the international reputation of Ireland as a jurisdiction with appropriate legal protection for intellectual property and copyright generally,” McGuinness told the Irish Independent. “Though the court ruling is a major blow to the recorded music and movie industries, there are many other Irish-based businesses and industries threatened by copyright theft. The Government must, as a matter of urgency, implement the required EU legislation without delay.”