Not that I partake in anything like file-sharing, or really, even know anything about any of that sort of thing. But if I did, I might be a little worried upon hearing that Japan recently made a move to forcibly cut the Internet connection of users found to repeatedly use Winny and other file-sharing programs.

The move aims to deal with the rise in illegal copying of music, gaming software and images that has resulted in huge infringements on the rights of copyright holders.

Resorting to cutting off the Internet connection of copyright violators has been considered before but never resorted to over fears the practice might involve violations of privacy rights and the freedom of use of telecommunications.

It would appear that the most typical kind of file-sharing going on in Japan is of games.

A brief six-hour survey by a copyright organization monitoring the Internet found about 3.55 million examples of illegally copied gaming software, worth about 9.5 billion yen at regular software prices, and 610,000 examples of illegally copied music files, worth 440 million yen, that could be freely downloaded into personal computers using such software, the sources said. In other words, this survey alone, uncovered damages amounting to 10 billion yen.

That photo looks like it was designed by someone who also knows nothing about file-sharing.