Teacher arrested for downloading mp3s

A SCHOOLTEACHER has been fined €10,200 ($17,000) for uploading and downloading music on the internet in France's first big case designed to deter other peer-to-peer (P2P) pirates.

The 28-year-old teacher was ordered by a court in the Paris suburb of Pontoise to pay the money to copyright companies after being found guilty of illegally transferring 30GB of music files - the equivalent of around 10,000 songs, or 614 albums.

The fine was less than half the €28,400 the companies had demanded.

The teacher also had his computer confiscated and was ordered to take out advertisements in two newspapers to publicise the verdict.

Prosecutors said the teacher had been arrested because he had been one of the biggest uploaders of music online in France.

France's music industry has since last year adopted the tactics of their US counterparts in going after downloaders and making an example of them.

Those caught risk up to three years in jail and a €300,000 fine.