Downloading Pirated Content Is Now Illegal in the Netherlands

Downloading pirated content such as copyrighted movies or music is now illegal in the Netherlands, the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice announced on Thursdayreports.

Until now, downloading copyrighted material in the Netherlands was permitted for personal use, effectively allowing Dutch citizens to download pirated content freely. The announcement comes after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that a Dutch law that makes no distinction between personal copies made from legal sources and copies made from illegal ones "cannot be tolerated."