An illegal downloading activity of an 11-year old boy makes his father liable according to a German court.  The lack of proper anti-piracy instruction was one of the reasons that led to the guilty verdict. 

In Germany, the campaign against illegal downloading or online piracy has become more serious. Severe punishments are being given to offenders. However, despite the warning and constant crackdown of the authorities, some people still managed to disobey the law.

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Such was the case of an 11-year old who unknowingly downloaded audiobooks from illegal sites, according to Torrent Freak. Although not mentioned in the court report, it has been assumed that the site used was a torrent site or site with similar nature.

Nevertheless, such activity was not left unnoticed by authorities. As a result of the investigation and trial, the father of the child was given a guilty verdict before a Leipzig court. He was instructed to pay 956 euros in damages and legal costs.

However, in his defense, the father of the boy argued that he instructed his child not to wander around things that have no academic relevance. He told his son that the computer should only be used for school purposes and not to simply download things.

The court with its counter-argument characterized the father's action as "negligent." Such line of reasoning could be interpreted as an excuse to avoid punishment while the act is being perpetuated.  But still, the defendant has a chance to make an appeal to a higher court.

Meanwhile, while Germany has been firm with their anti-online piracy campaign, some users are still enjoying an amount of freedom in terms of online streaming as mentioned by DW. To avoid being charged for illegal downloading of contents, most German users would prefer online streaming. Germany has developed a tolerance for such activity, but to what extent it remains unclear.

Watch here below the thriving business of online piracy: