Tag Archive: French

Last month the French National Assembly rejected a bill that would see illegal file sharers cut off from the Net after being caught three times. Yesterday, in a 296-233 vote, they passed it, making President Nicolas Sarkozy, a firm advocate of the legislation, a happy man.

The Creation and Internet bill, as it’s known, will now go to a vote in the French Senate today.

Setting a harsh global precedent, the bill would see persistent illegal file sharers cut off after receiving an e-mail warning from a state agency, followed by a letter, and finally a year’s disconnection from the Net.

The French Senate has overwhelmingly (297-15) voted in favor of a law that would penalize persistent illegal file sharers by severing their net connection after two e-mail warnings. The proposal is now heading to the French National Assembly for approval, the BBC reports.

In November 2007, when the law was first mooted, President Nicolas Sarkozy called it “a decisive moment for the future of a civilized Internet.”

French ISPs will become watchdogs to keep tabs on their customers, and if the law is enacted there will be a new government body to oversee the anti-piracy work. The Senate rejected an amendment that would have seen a fine rather than a net cut-off for offenders.