A MEANS TO FIGHT SOFTWARE PIRACY - SELECTIVE CRIMINAL PROSECUTION THEORY

Author

Peter Petrov

Annotation

The article reviews the fight against computer piracy at international level, comparing it with the relevant methods and practices applied in Bulgaria.

Taking into account the peculiarities of Bulgarian torrent sites, the author examines the possibility to apply the selective criminal prosecution theory as an effective means to fight software piracy.

The author aims at justifying the need for government intervention by means of penal repression in the relationship between copyright holders and the persons violating their rights via computer piracy. The article focuses on р2р-networks and torrents for these are the main methods of software piracy.

The main idea is that such intervention is essential, feasible and justified for political, economic and social reasons. The article uses data from the author's study of three of the most famous Bulgarian torrent sites - zamunda.net, arenabg.com, and p2pbg.com, with a view to justifying the abovementioned thesis.

Keywords

computer piracy, Bulgarian torrent sites, selective criminal prosecution theory

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