France to tackle online piracy

Wednesday 18 June 2008

Culture Minister Christine Albanel presented to the government on Wednesday a new tactic against online piracy : any web user who downloads illegally will risk up to a year of subscription suspensions. The bill is provoking critics' ire.

France moved Wednesday to clamp down on Internet piracy with a bill that would set up a new agency to track down cybersurfers who illegally download music, videos and movies from the web.
  
Culture Minister Christine Albanel presented the bill to cabinet, saying it was not about "policing" the web but rather encouraging responsible use of the Internet.
  
The legislation would set up a new administrative body that would receive complaints from the music and film industry and track down offenders through Internet service providers.
  
An e-mail warning would be sent to suspected downloaders followed by a registered letter. After two strikes, offenders would risk losing their Internet subscription for up to a year.
  
"There is no reason that the Internet should be lawless," President Nicolas Sarkozy told the cabinet meeting, the government spokesman said.
  
Albanel said the bill was balanced and "takes an essentially preventive and educational approach" to illicit downloading.
  
"We know that we are not going to eradicate piracy 100 percent, but we think that we can reduce it significantly," Albanel told a news conference.
  
The warning system is aimed at cutting piracy down by as much as 80 percent, she said.
  
The legislation is expected to go before parliament in the autumn and enter into force on January 1.
  
In 2006, French Internet subscribers downloaded one billion pirated copies of music albums, films and other cultural products.
  
Violation of copyright laws through illicit downloading is also punishable in France by a fine of up to 300,000 euros and three years in jail.
  
The bill is backed by some 40 organisations from the music and film industry as well as Internet service providers who presented a report to Sarkozy in November on anti-piracy measures.
  
"The French are champions when it comes to Internet piracy," said Pascal Rogard, director of the SACD group of song and scriptwriters.
  
"That's because many of them have high-speed Internet at home and they are also enthusiastic consumers of cultural products."
  
The new agency, called the High authority for copyright protection and dissemination of works on the Internet (Hadopi), will receive complaints from music and film companies that it can take up with ISPs.
  
Opponents of the bill including prominent leftists have signed a petition deploring that the new agency will "hunt down individual users, who happen to love culture." They said cutting off Internet access was harsh punishment.
  
"Nowadays, having access to the Internet is crucial," said Benoit Thieulin, one of the signatories from the opposition Socialist Party.
  
A consumer group UFC-Que Choisir has dubbed the bill a "monstrosity designed by music promoters whose sole interests it serves."
  
But Robert predicted that the new warning system would be efficient.
  
"Hard core Internet pirates will probably continue but for the majority, a clear warning will be make them stop," he said.
  
Last month, a European parliament report came out against such anti-piracy measures, saying that "criminalizing consumers who are not seeking to profit from the acts is not the solution to combating Internet piracy."