The French magazine Téléchargement has received a fine of €10,000 ($11,150) for publishing an article describing several tools and websites where users could download illegal content. These kind of articles can be prosecutable, according to French law.
On one of its covers, Téléchargement, French for download, showed a pirate skull and a headline promising the best software and websites for 'free downloads'. The article mentioned popular Bittorrent clients and websites. Also several methods to find illegal content on Google were described.
The SCPP, an interest group of the French music industry wasn't amused and sued the magazine stating it had 'crossed a border'. The magazine encourages illegal downloading, according to SCPP. The French copyright law forbids deliberate encouragement of downloading of illegal content. Offenders can be punished with fines up to € 300,000 ($330,000) or a maximum of 3 years in prison.
A judge ruled in favor of SCPP and imposed a fine on Téléchargement of €10,000. This would be about equal to the profits made with the circulation of over six thousand magazines.
Téléchargement has announced it will not appeal.
