Defiant French Government Passes “Three-Strikes” Legislation

Sarkozy vs. European Parliament

On Friday we reported about the French government’s defiance towards the European Parliament decision to rule out the disconnection from the Internet of users from European countries.

The European Parliament realized it is only natural not to allow governments to cut off Internet users without an investigation and a court trial – “Internet access is a fundamental right such as the freedom of expression and the freedom to access information.”

Despite this decision, the French National Assembly seems stuck in its own convictions which led it to formally pass the controversial “Creation and Internet” law anyway by a narrow 296 to 233 margin.

As Zeropaid reports, “the legislation, backed by President Nicolas Sarkozy, and surprisingly defeated in the same body last month, calls for the creation of the Haute Autorité pour la Diffusion des Oeuvres et la Protection des droits sur Internet (HADOPI), a new govt agency whose task it would be to sanction those accused of illegal file-sharing”.

The real wickedness behind the three strikes policy would be this – to make sure the ISPs would not think of opposing the plan for fear of losing revenue, file-sharers cut off from their Internet connection would still be forced to pay their Internet service provider for an inexistent service (since they would be disconnected)! Something tells me President Sarkozy should prepare for massive protests .After all, the inclination of the French towards rebellion is something pretty damn known.

We’ll keep you posted with the outcome of the vote of the Senate which is due tomorrow.