Comment & Debate
Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) spokesperson Tan Mei Jue: “Illegal downloading and illegal file-sharing are violations of copyright law in Singapore, and there are remedies in our copyright law for copyright holders to take appropriate legal action against copyright infringers.
Cyril Chua, a partner at a Singapore law firm ATMD Bird & Bird and specializing in IP and technology, supported the stance taken by The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore: [The local police force has] all the powers under the Criminal Procedure Code to compel ISPs to disclose the identity of frequent downloaders of pirated materials […] All it would take is a few high-profile prosecutions. Once the public is aware that [illegal content] downloaders are prosecuted, they would stop,” said Chua. “While some may claim that this is akin to using a sledgehammer to crack a pea, this is clearly the most effective method. The only unresolved issue is whether the police would have the bandwidth to handle such cases.”[1]