Copyright violation punishment relaxed for Korean teens
2009/02/24 05:34Prosecutors have adopted new rules for Korean teenagers caught pirating copyrighted content after several police departments started to use summary trials to combat over zealous lawyers:
Prosecutors have decided to give teenagers a one-time reprieve if they are caught violating copyright by downloading movies or music files for free on the Internet.
The Supreme Public Prosecutors’ Office on Sunday said that from March 1 of this year until Feb. 28 of next year, Koreans under 19 years of age will have their charges dismissed if caught violating copyrights for the first time.
JoongAng Daily: Kids face summary trials for copyright violations (January 16, 2009)
A US copyright lobby group recently asked that South Korea to remain on a watch list for intellectual property rights due to "unacceptably high levels of piracy affecting every copyright sector":
The International Intellectual Property Alliance, which is comprised of some 19-hundred copyright firms, requested the U.S. trade agency include 25 countries --- including South Korea, Italy and Spain --- on its Watch List.
The alliance also recommended that another 13 countries be placed on the USTR’s Priority Watch List, including China, Russia and Canada.
International Intellectual Property Alliance: South Korea Special 301 Report (PDF)
