Italy's Senate has passed a law that makes sharing and also downloading files on P2P networks an offense that can lead to up to three years in prison. This penalty is about the same as the one for people who pirate CDs for profit.
The parties that opposed this bill (Communists, Greens, Lista Prodi) abstained from voting on the matter. They are now trying to get the Senate to reconsider the penalties it approved. This new law does not care if there is financial gain or not.
Besides the jail sentences which are at minimum 6 months, people convicted can face fines of between �154 and �1032 ($185-1240), have their crimes printed in two national newspapers and see their hardware and software confiscated.
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