Joachim Kundert Jensen, legal counsel for the Danish AntiPiracyGroup says:

“There is a great technological gap between today’s parents and their children. While most children are confident with the new technologies and use them every day, many parents do not know anything about them. So, the communication between the child and parent is broken. The way forward is constructive dialogue.”

Through the Danish AntiPiracyGroup’s website, parents can download a free program that traces MP3 files and peer-to-peer programs on the computer. The files traced with the program are not necessarily pirated copies, but as Joachim Kundert Jensen says, the findings are to be used as basis for a dialogue between the parent and child about file sharing.

He states:

“Although children have great technological expertise, as a parent you are still the expert on social values and ideas. You might not know the latest file sharing programs, but you can still teach your child basic social values. These values count as much in cyberspace as in real life.”

In Denmark there are a number of online services with information on copyright laws and online file sharing. One section of the Danish Media Council for Children and Young People’s (MCCYP) site on children’s use of new media focuses on peer-to-peer and file sharing. The site infokiosk.dk, initiated by the Danish Ministry of Culture, contains information on Danish copyright laws in relation to downloading and copying of computer games, films and MP3s.

Parents need to be aware of the consequences of online piracy. In Denmark, fines, demands of compensation and in some cases even imprisonment are possible. It is therefore important to understand the rules and regulations for online file sharing.