Film file-Sharer sent to Prison - A Hong Kong man has been jailed for three months for film piracy after he shared movie files over the internet. [Movies & Music]

For the first time in the world ever, someone has been arrested for uploading illegal material onto the internet through the popular file-sharing client BitTorrent. Chan Nai-Ming, an unemployed internet user in Hong Kong, was arrested and sent to jail for three months for distributing the films Daredevil, Red Planet and Miss Congeniality. This may sound familiar to those who remember the days way back when Napster had to be shut down for the illegal file-sharing of music in mp3 format.

From that day on I could see the dawning of a new age of piracy. Piracy where you didn't have to go down a dark back alley in New York and pay ten dollars to get the latest Chevy Chase flick. Now we are at a time when we can get movies so easily and fast, that we can even get them before they are released. A number of popular BitTorrent sites, according to BBC news, were shut down just last year due to the piracy of Star Wars Episode 3: Revenged of the Sith before it was even released. I have to say I am a fan of this wonderful technology that we stand upon, but it still is wrong to rob honest film makers of their rightfully earned money.

Copyrighted material should continue to be protected under the law, as long as we believe in justice and righteous freedom in this country we live in. I admit that I might how dwelled into the depths of illegal file-sharing once or twice; but for the records we will just say it entirely for educational purposes. As nice as it is to get the latest Spielberg film on my computer over night, I do admit it is wrong and what has happened to this man in Hong Kong is deserved. When will people truly understand the seriousness of illegal file-sharing when we never prosecute those who are so wrongfully doing it? This could mark the beginning of a new RIAA game where everyone and their grandma is being sued, but truthfully it will show even the most innocent looking people that they are a criminal for what they have done. But since none of this has happened yet, I will continue to reap the benefits as long as I can.