LONDON (AFP) — A woman has been ordered to pay £16,000 in damages after she illegally loaded a computer game on a file-sharing network, lawyers said Tuesday.
The unnamed woman is among the first to be taken to court in Britain by computer game manufacturers seeking to protect their copyright.
The woman had shared a copy of Topware Interactive 's Dream Pinball 3D which costs around £26.
The Patents County Court in London ordered that the firm should be awarded damages of just over £6,000 plus costs of £10,000.
David Gore -- a lawyer who acted for Topware Interactive -- said: The damages and costs ordered by the court are significant and should act as a deterrent. This shows that taking direct steps against infringers is an important and effective weapon in the battle against online piracy."
Gore added that the firm has launched civil proceedings against 100 people suspected of illegally uploading copyrighted works on behalf of Topware Interactive.
Six million people are thought to engage in illegal file-sharing each year in Britain.
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