Maximum fines of £100,000 and prison sentences of up to five years are provided for in new copyright legislation announced yesterday. The Copyright (Amendment) Bill, 1998, will also substantially reinforce presumptions in favour of copyright rights holders bringing civil actions for breach of copyright. The burden of proof will shift to the defendants in such cases.

The bill is one of two pieces of legislation which are to be introduced to replace Ireland's out of date copyright law. Pressure from the US government and the threat of a case against Ireland being taken before the World Trade Organisation in Geneva, for failing to properly protect copyright, has led to the move. The case being brought by the US government was dropped following the commitment to introduce new legislation.

Multinationals like Microsoft have complained about the commercial reproduction of their products without copyright in Ireland.

"Coming on top of recent successes of the gardai in dealing with copyright piracy, the urgency with which the bill was prepared and published is another demonstration of this government's total commitment to the modernisation of Irish copyright law and the elimination of copyright theft," said Mr Tom Kitt, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

"With the publication of the Copyright (Amendment) Bill the Government has delivered on the first stage of its programme of copyright law reform, a programme of vital importance for our modern, information-based economy," Mr Kitt said.

"The bill will be brought before the Oireachtas for enactment as soon as possible, while work proceeds towards the publication of the promised comprehensive Copyright and Related Rights Bill at the earliest possible date." The second bill is expected to be published by July.