A recent study conducted by market researcher TNS reveals that 38 percent of the Britons connected to the Internet think that downloading pirated content from the web is not as serious as stealing from a store. According to Web User News, the TNS study also revealed that UK Internet consumers 'didn't like the idea of being watched online' just like it happens in some other countries. Take the example of China where the authorities took the decision to implement two virtual patrols monitoring the country's top portals. The policemen have the responsibility to inform every user who attempts to conduct a malicious activity that doing it may have serious consequences.

"On one hand we understand that the media business is suffering as a result of those people who abuse the internet, but on the other, we feel slightly uncomfortable with the idea that someone could be 'monitoring' exactly what we do online", said Amy Cashman of TNS UK according to Web User News.

"There is also the question of whether the punishment fits the crime, and is downloading a few music files for free deserving of a complete online ban? I think a lot of countries and industry leaders will be looking to France, to see how a policy of this kind will shape the Internet of the future."

Earlier this day, security firm Symantec announced that it has won a lawsuit against several software pirates that sold counterfeited versions of its applications. Because of that, the defendants are now forced to pay $21 million to the security company, which sees the judge's ruling as an important victory in the battle against piracy.

Certainly, manipulating copyrighted content on the web can have serious consequences over an ordinary Internet user, and this has been proved several times in the past. Just think at ECOtotal, the YouTube member that uploaded pirated clips of "24" and that is currently investigated by the police.