Monitoring file sharing in Norway is illegal

From yesterday, Norway’s primary legal firm endowed with the responsibility of monitoring file sharing and collecting IP adresses, was denied a new license after it expired. Meaning there are currently no authorities in Norway monitoring any form of file sharing. For more than half a decade the Simonsen law firm has been obtaining licenses from Norway’s data protection office which enabled the company to monitor file-sharers and collect their IP addresses.

The Simonsen law firm is home to famous “pirate hunter” Espen Tøndel. Simonsen law firm lost their right to monitor file sharing traffic in March 2012 but the appeal finally told them no more just a few days ago.

“As of today no hunting of file-sharers is allowed in Norway,” said Cecilie Rønnevik, senior advisor to the Norwegian Data Inspectorate.

For Simonsen this is sure to be a big blow, as their MPAA clients will no longer be interested in working with them.

“When no one is authorized to process personal data in order to stop copyright infringement, it weakens licensees’ ability to pursue violations happening online, and thus their ability to protect their interests. We hope and believe that this problem will soon be solved,” the company told TU.NO in an email.

A solution to the problem has been speculated in the form of creating an anti-piracy organisation to represent rights-holders.

“We have been asked if we could accept an organization on the licensee side, a bit like Antipiratbyrån in Sweden,” said Cecilie Rønnevik from the Data Inspectorate. “We will consider it if we get an application for a license.”

In the meantime until the problem is solved, Norwegian internet users can go pirate crazy and download anything they want without repercussions.

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