A 'three strikes' anti-piracy law has been passed by the French lower house, a flagship regulation aimed at helping copyright groups stifle file sharing over peer-to-peer networks.
As part of the law, anyone seen as a serial file sharer will have their Internet service cut for up to one year, with the new Hadopi (High Authority for the Diffusion of Works and the Protection of Rights on the Internet) department overseeing which Internet users receive warning letters and possible bans.
The law, supported by French President Nicholas Sarkozy, was originally shot down last month by the government, but will likely face heavy criticism from other EU nations.
Even though it passed 296 to 233, there have been threats of possible lawsuits and other legal action in the future, depending on whether or not the European Commission becomes involved on its own.
"While the [three-strikes bill] was rejected last week by 88 percent of European deputies, the French national Assembly has bent itself to the will of the president by adopting the Creation and Internet law," according to French Socialist MEP Guy Bono. "To flatter the ego of the prince, the majority intends to pass a text that it knows quite well to be contrary to community law. This shows utter contempt for Europe and its citizens three weeks ahead of the European elections."
Bono reportedly is ready to request the European Commission have the European Court of Justice file legal infringement proceedings against the French government.
Governments are still trying to figure out how to handle issues related to piracy, with three-strikes laws very unpopular among Internet users and many privacy advocates.
