Providers of pirated content over the internet will face legal consequences in Switzerland after parliament amended the current copyright law.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/ug
The House of Representatives on Monday fell in line with the Senate to facilitate access for users to digital television, notably streaming services.
The reform is aimed at cracking down on Swiss-based hosting providers forcing them to remove illegal contents from their servers.
The amendments also seek to boost copyright protection for creative artists, including photographers, musicians and film producers.
The government argued that its proposal is a compromise between the artists and the consumers keen on downloading films, music or books electronically.
Critics argue that amended Swiss law falls short of punishing consumers violating intellectual property rights.
International treaties
In debates over the past few years, both houses fought over a number of details, including fees to be paid by libraries, the tourist industry, hospitals and prisons.
However, parliament put off a reform of rules for online platforms to check whether uploaded contents contain copyright material.
The European Union parliament approved a legal amendment 12 months ago, but it not clear how individual member countries will apply the regulation.
Approval of the latest reform by parliament on Monday paves the way for Switzerland to ratify two international treaties on intellectual property rights.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
Norwegian zombie film wins main prize at Swiss festival NIFFF
This content was published on
More than 55,000 people celebrated the fantastic film at the International Fantastic Film Festival in Neuchâtel (NIFFF) - fewer than last year.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Internet provider ‘not responsible’ for pirated movie sites
This content was published on
The complaint was brought against the state-owned telecoms giant by the independent Swiss movie and documentary maker Praesens FilmExternal link. The company argued that Swisscom should be obliged to deny its customers access to foreign websites that allow illegal streaming or downloading of films. But the Supreme Court in Lausanne turned down the complaint on…
This content was published on
More than 1,000 demonstrators marched in Switzerland’s biggest city against the copyright reforms which critics fear threaten freedom of speech, according to the Keystone-SDA news agency. The copyright directive, which is due for a final vote at the European Parliament next Tuesday, aims to modernize copyright laws so they are fit for the digital era. In…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.