France: “Three-Strikes” Model Will Just Have to Wait Some More

The ‘three-strikes’ law has given the French Government much trouble. Now, after the Constitutional Council dismissed the notorious legislation as unconstitutional efforts are made to adjust it.

The main argument against “Creation and Internet,” as the law was called, was the freedom to communicate – one of the essential human rights, which would have been be violated according to the Constitutional Council if the previous version of ‘the three strikes’ plan would have been approved. A new organization would have been founded to ‘take care’ of the illegal file sharers – the Haute Autorité pour la Diffusion des Oeuvres et la Protection des droits sur Internet (HADOPI) – and disconnect the repeat infringers.

“Once again rights holders are taken hostage by the political maneuvering by some members in defiance of cultural industries which suffer during this time of unprecedented crisis,” said the Syndicat National de l’édition Phonographique (SNEP), an organization working on behalf of the music industry in France.

Much to the disappointment of the French music industry, the final decision was to postpone the ‘three-strikes’ plan until September.

In case the “Creation and Internet,” law is voted in the lower house, it will still require an examination by a committee made up of lawmakers from the upper and lower houses of Parliament and re-submitted to another vote in both houses before it is enforced.