Report: EU in anti-piracy sweep

The New York Times has reported that the European Union is preparing to enact a sweeping intellectual property law.

This would classify copyright violations and patent infringements - even some unwitting ones, as crimes punishable by a prison sentence.

Lawyers cited by the paper said that not only could someone who downloaded a music file be sent be jailed under it; so could managers of the internet service provider used by the "pirate".

The paper has said the proposed law would replace a patchwork of regulations in the union's 15 member countries.

Companies such as Nokia Corp, BT PLC and Microsoft Corp - itself a major victim of software piracy, have reportedly called the proposed law excessive and warned that it may crush technical innovation.