French Govt Begins Asking ISPs to Identify File-Sharers

Written By Jared Moya

September 23, 2010 | 4 Comments

High Authority has already sent out 800 requests to ISPs asking them to identify suspected file-sharers per the country’s HADOPI “three-strikes” law, meaning that the first official warning letters – strikes – could begin in a few days time.

The era of disconnecting file-sharers from the Internet has officially begun in France with news that the country’s High Authority has begun sending out notices to ISPs requesting the identities of people suspected of illegally downloading copyrighted material.

The effort is part of the country’s “Creation and Internet” law, the controversial “three-strikes” measure to fight P2P in that country first proposed first proposed back in June of 2008. It was formally passed last September, but not after first before being ruled unconstitutional over the fact that an agency (HADOPI), and not a judge, was allowed to disconnect people from the Internet.

So far HADOPI it has sent out more than 800 requests, and barring any compliance complications with ISPs, it should begin receiving the full names, addresses, and e-mails of suspected file-sharers. It’s unlikely to have an issues however, for all ISPs have already said they plan to respond without a fight. ISPs that refuse to comply face a an “offense of the fifth class” and a fine of 1500 euros ($2,000 USD).

This means some French file-sharers could begin receiving their first warning letter – i.e. strike – in the coming days.

The number of initial requests has apparently been limited to 800 because HADOPI is still trying to work out the kinks in its system. An unnamed ISP notes that a mass campaign has not begun “mainly because HADOPI is not ready to do today.”

The “problem” is that HADOPI is trying to put an automated system in place to speed the process along, an important feature considering the Ministry of Culture hopes to send at least 10,000 warning letters per day.

Let’s hope putting that system in place takes a while.

Stay tuned.

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Jared Moya
I've been interested in P2P since the early, high-flying days of Napster and KaZaA. I believe that analog copyright laws are ill-suited to the digital age, and that art and culture shouldn't be subject to the whims of international entertainment industry conglomerates. Twitter | Google Plus

Drew, never let your guard down, this is not about copyright infringement, as we all know, and more about the seizing of power from near powerless individuals. The installation of a global police, and the ramifications of the ACTA, will wreak havoc with any counterculture movement, any organisation, or any single entity that wishes to promote individual freedoms and rights over control and profit. Banners of child porn and piracy will be waved, all the while lobbyists, politicians, bankers and intelligence agencies run amok, planting seeds of ignorance, misinformation, propaganda and lies. Murderers and henchmen everywhere outraged on the make, stand in awe of the empire of bullshit, outrage, slavery and hopelessness these pricks promote. Anger, drew

Drew Wilson

They will certainly try to get up to this level (10,000 per day). After following the French government for almost a year, the government will stop at nothing to get their way. They don't care if the accuracy is questionable when it comes to filing the complaints. They don't care that scammers are hijacking the law to make a quick buck. They don't care that this will amount to tens of millions of euros to process all of these complaints. They don't care what the political ramifications are. All they care about is sucking up to the IFPI. The bad news is that the government will crash the system trying to make a fatally flawed law work.

They will not issue them all in one day, are you crazy, tens of thousands of us would march in the streets and organize. The masses may cry for democracy, and have a network effect. No, they will bleed the money out slowly, like inflation, so there is no organization to represent the suddenly angry 'criminal' netizens.