‘German parents have to inform authorities of illegal downloads by their children, a German High Court has stated in an unprecedented ruling. Refusal to comply will result in fines.
The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) in Karlsruhe on Thursday ruled against a family in which the parents refused to testify against their child in a case of copyright infringements on the internet.
The couple from Munich, with three adult children, refused to name the child who had pirated a copy of singer Rihanna’s 2010 album ‘Loud’ using a family computer. The father claimed that under German law, family members are protected from testifying against each other, and therefore he should not be forced to say which of his children was the pirate. That argument failed to convince the judge, however.’
Read more: Parents must rat on kids for internet piracy, German court rules
