breastlover
7th January 2003, 16:39
Oslo, Jan. 7 (Bloomberg) -- A Norwegian teenager was
acquitted of breaking data protection laws when he developed
software that allows the copying of DVDs and distributed it on the
Internet, an Oslo court said.
Jon Johansen, 19, made software allowing him to watch his
movies on a Linux-operated computer, which wasn't possible before.
The prosecutor claimed Johansen did it to harm the movie industry,
and called for a suspended sentence, that he be made to pay court
costs and that his computer be taken away.
``Accessing movies which have been legally acquired is not
illegal even if the movie is played in a way differing from what
the producer had assumed,'' the court said in a statement on its
Web site. Johansen was also acquitted of aiding others in gaining
unlawful access to DVDs since the program may be used for legal
purposes, the court said.
--Petter Narvestad in the Oslo bureau (47) 22 99 62 10, or
pnarvestad@bloomberg.net. Editor: Klemming.
Story illustration: For legal news, see {NI LAW <GO>}.
NI LAW
NI NORTHAM
NI USMA
NI US
NI NORWAY
NI SCAND
NI GEN
NI FILM
NI CRIME
#<718237.162164>#
-0- (BN ) Jan/07/2003 13:40 GMT
acquitted of breaking data protection laws when he developed
software that allows the copying of DVDs and distributed it on the
Internet, an Oslo court said.
Jon Johansen, 19, made software allowing him to watch his
movies on a Linux-operated computer, which wasn't possible before.
The prosecutor claimed Johansen did it to harm the movie industry,
and called for a suspended sentence, that he be made to pay court
costs and that his computer be taken away.
``Accessing movies which have been legally acquired is not
illegal even if the movie is played in a way differing from what
the producer had assumed,'' the court said in a statement on its
Web site. Johansen was also acquitted of aiding others in gaining
unlawful access to DVDs since the program may be used for legal
purposes, the court said.
--Petter Narvestad in the Oslo bureau (47) 22 99 62 10, or
pnarvestad@bloomberg.net. Editor: Klemming.
Story illustration: For legal news, see {NI LAW <GO>}.
NI LAW
NI NORTHAM
NI USMA
NI US
NI NORWAY
NI SCAND
NI GEN
NI FILM
NI CRIME
#<718237.162164>#
-0- (BN ) Jan/07/2003 13:40 GMT