The 7 Habits of Highly Effective… Pirates?
In an effort to tackle online piracy, Lithuania has been issuing €140 fines to online pirates, catching several dozen people in the first few months. These early targets were mostly movie pirates on private trackers. However, a recent announcement revealed that audio copies of the classic self-help book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" are being watched too.
Last summer, Lithuania amended its Code of Administrative Offenses, allowing media watchdog LRTK to fine pirates, without going to court.
This legislative change is the latest attempt to deter piracy in the European country. The potential fines should make pirates reconsider their habits, the thinking was.
Over the past several months, dozens of fines were handed out. The targets were first-time offenders and all received the minimum fine of 140 euros. For repeat offenses, fines can potentially reach 600 euros.
The early fines were almost exclusively issued to users of the private torrent tracker Linkomanija for sharing pirated films. However, the authorities have cast their net wider than that, a recent update shows.
