The fierce protest sparked in many European countries in February 2012 by the signing of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is a perfect illustration of the balancing act that legislators have to perform when enshrining the protection of intellectual property rights in law. The interests of both users and rightholders require a compromise that is felt to be “fair”.

Although the question of shaping the details of copyrights is the focus of intense debate, there is a relatively broad consensus that piracy, that is to say the systematic violation of these rights, must be combated. This IRIS plus looks at the issue of combating internet piracy, which has become an explosive subject, especially owing to the constant improvements in the efficiency of electronic data exchange and the consequent rise in copyright violations.