France Finalizes Plans for Govt ‘Three-Strikes’ Agency

Written by soulxtc

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France Finalizes Plans for Govt ‘Three-Strikes’ Agency

Will manage system of graduated responses for those accused of illegal file-sharing.

The French govt has reportedly drafted legislation that will formally establish a new govt agency whose responsibility it will be to monitor the “three-strikes-and-your-out” system of graduated responses to fight illegal file-sharing it approved last year.

Called the Haute Autorité pour la diffusion des œuvres et la protection des droits sur Internet (HADOPI), and expected to see a final vote sometime next month, the proposed law is seen as way to sanction illegal file-sharers without having to use existing copyright infringement laws which call for fines or prison time if charged and convicted.

But, many already question the reliability of illegal file-sharing accusations considering researchers have already shown the unreliability of determining the actual user at a given IP address or what was actually shared.

“The legislation is not only dangerously repressive, it is also inefficient,” said Patrick Bloche, the National Secretary for France’s Socialist Party and the mayor of Paris’ 11th arrondissement.

He noted the unfair influence that entertainment industry behemoths like France-based Vivendi and others have on drafting French law, and suggested that a simple tax on Internet connections with proceeds given to copyright holders would suffice.

“With a universal licence, the money recuperated will not uniquely go into the pockets of the producers, which is definitely the case now.” Bloche said. “Today, artists’ royalty payments are significantly less, while the [media companies’] royalty payments are considerably more.”

I still find it surprising that France, which prides itself on being a bastion of freedom and creativity, may actually be the first Western democracy to begin pulling the plug on people’s ability to fully have either.

With Irish ISP Eircom VOLUNTARILY offering to censor the Internet and disconnect file-sharers, along with UK ISPs being pressured to do the same, it makes the US look like the real bastion of freedom in the world.

jared@zeropaid.com