A committee of the Dutch Lower House wants to make free downloading illegal, a futile attempt to stop the practice say internet users. MPs from the Christian Democratic party (CDA), the Labour Party (PvdA), the Socialist Party (SP) and the conservatives (VVD) presented their `copyright bill' in the Lower House on Wednesday.
 
Currently only uploading is illegal. Debates in the Lower House showed that many MPs think downloading should also be punishable.
 
The Lower House says the ban should only take effect when there are viable legal alternatives. These are practically absent in the Netherlands. The committee recommended the entertainment industry find a solution. Chair of the committee Arda Gerkens said "it is their own commercial problem. They should solve it, not the legislator."
 
In 2007, the Dutch Justice Ministry announced it would step up its game against piracy but said it would focus on people who upload copyrighted material on a large scale. Ms Gerkens is quick to clarify that they "don't want to act against 13-year-old girls who download their favourite songs", but says that "we need to teach children that music and movies are not for free."