Swedish ISP: IPRED contradicts EU privacy laws

Swedish ISP TeliaSonera has appealed a court order to provide the court with the identity of the owner of torrentsite SweTorrents. It argues that the IPRED law, on which the order is based, violates the EU data retention directive and contradicts the court’s claim that SweTorrents host infringing material.

Last year, Sweden adopted the IPRED law that should make it easier for rights holders to track down alleged file-sharers. The law obliges ISPs to provide rights holders with the identity of copyright infringers, after intervention of a court of law.

Three movie studios, cooperating with anti piracy bureau Antipiratbyrån, started a case last year against the owner of SweTorrents. In December, the court ruled that TeliaSonera must provide the claimants with the identity of SweTorrents’ owner.

TeliaSonera has decided to appeal this decision, stating that the EU data retention regulation requires them to protect the privacy of their customers. The IPRED ruling would thus force them to violate this regulation. Furthermore, the ISP questioned the technological understanding of the court. The ruling stated that SweTorrents hosts infringing files, while, as a torrent site, it only provides links.

Source: torrentfreak

19-01-2010