In some European countries, the authorities are taking rigorous action against film and music piracy. Even downloading a single file can lead to fines, criminal proceedings and warnings.
In Switzerland, the legal situation is somewhat different. Here, you can download or stream certain content from the internet without paying for it under certain circumstances.
Is there any case in Switzerland where someone was caught and fined for having distributed copyrighted material?
Yes. This was the very first conviction in Switzerland for pirating music.
They were fined 1000 Franks + the court costs (so basically slap on the wrist).
Is this an exception? Having heard in France and in Germany how easily and often people get caught, this is the first time I hear of such a situation in Switzerland.
I think they are rather isolated. At least I have a hard time finding cases.
Here is another one, but this guy was running a website for sharing pirated stuff, which I think is much easier to track without violating privacy laws.
I know quite a few people who have downloaded movies. As long as you stay within “reasonable” margins, no one really bothers you