Andre Yoskowitz
30 May 2007 14:21
Last week, US and South Korean officials released the text of the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries. Of course, the agreement contained stong language about intellectual property rights and its enforcement.
Now that the pact is signed Korean P2P users can prepare for stronger enforcement. There will be a new "joint investigation team" that is on notice to operate at the request of any copyright holder and which can shut down any website that "permits the unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or transmission of copyright work."
In their end of the agreement the Korean government pledged to provide "more effective enforcement of intellectual property rights on the Internet" and said it would target P2P networks and services.
South Korea also pledged to give added authority to the "joint investigation team" that would allow it to "take criminal action for online piracy".
Korean and American groups such as the EFF have shown opposition to the new deal because of some of the wording. Reading the agreement suggests that there is a possibility that sites with legitimate uses could be targeted even if 99% percent of their content is legal.
Source:
Arstechnica