Earlier this month, the EU passed a new directive against piracy. They had to rush it through parliament (or “fast-track” it, in the words of CNN/AP) so that it would be ready for the Eastern European countries entering the fold on May 1. It’s a bit like America inviting Jamaica to become the 51st state, and then quickly rewriting its marijuana laws shortly before their union.

Eastern Europe has twice the piracy rate of the west. Generally, pirate copies outnumber authorized versions, although there are some exceptions. There is also a correlation between poverty and piracy. Look at this table for example, which shows various countries, their GDP per capita, their piracy rate, and the cost of Microsoft’s Windows XP, both in its “effective” amount and how many months someone has to work to afford it. (All monetary figures are in USD.)

If you can’t imagine why Eastern Europe is such a hotbed of piracy, the answers are here. I can’t imagine that many Americans would pay $11,000 for Windows XP, so it should come as no surprise that few Bulgarians do.

The new EU laws will call for civil penalties, meaning seizure of property and fines. The original plan was to have people pay double the cost of the pirated items; the final draft has left the issue vague.

Of course, some folks, like the people at the BSA were hoping for criminal penalties, which would result in Eastern European police being obligated to arrest the majority of computer users.

What a wonderful way that would be to start the new European Union.