Spain approves internet anti-piracy laws

Spain's Cabinet has approved an Internet anti-piracy plan under which Web sites offering illegal entertainment downloads of will be urged to stop or face being shut down under a fast-track judicial process.

Justice Minister Francisco Caamano says the plan will create a panel of experts to hear complaints against suspect sites. The panel then can call on a judge, who will have four days to hear arguments from the parties involved before ruling.

The measure, passed at a Cabinet meeting Friday, is aimed at placating entertainment industry groups who claim they are losing millions of euros (dollars) through Internet piracy of copyright-protected material.