incrediBILL - 7:30 am on Jul 24, 2012 (gmt 0)

Cutting off internet access is a very severe penalty and very out of proportion as it is.

Severe?

Jail is severe.

Losing your car for DUIs is severe.

Having to register as a sex offender is severe.

Losing internet access for piracy is just inconvenient but appropriate and free wifi and public libraries would still let the little bandits back online.

As a software author, I really have zero sympathy for pirates. Whether it's movies, music, books, short stories, articles, blogs, photography or software, if people can't play by the copyright rules then maybe they shouldn't play. It's not that complicated, if it doesn't belong to you, then you don't take it without permission or paying for it.

I would rather see the record industry go bust than see this.

How would you like it if a couple of scrapers duped your sites all over the web and you went bust?

Doesn't sound too amusing does it?