The Artful Jurist

The Associated Press reports that the European Union has taken a big step in the direction of expanding Internet rights for the consumers of intellectual properties such as music and videos. The tentative agreement would prevent arbitrary takedowns and cut-offs based on allegations of copyright infringement.

Under the agreement, governments could only resort to those measures if they have proof that someone is using the web site for the purpose of illegally downloading copyright protected material. In other words, it's a "due process" requirement.

The EU Parliament and its member governments still need to approve the bill before it will become official.

The entertainment industry has been lobbying hard for years to have governments crack down on illegal Internet file sharing. Unauthorized downloading of music, films, and other intellectual properties has put a serious crimp in the industry's profits. The EU bill wouldn't halt crackdowns, but it would require more than just an accusation to have the plug pulled on an Internet user.