France reintroduces internet piracy bill

The debate will resume on Monday with the bill expected to be put to another vote in May.

The three-strikes law calls for an independent administrative authority to crack down on illegal downloaders. Under the plans, individuals would receive two written warnings about illegal activity and would be banned from the for a year internet if caught a third time.

Speaking in Parliament, culture minister Christine Albanel said: “Internet is not a no-rights zone…I don’t understand why those who beseech the State to regulate finance, the economy and social measures have metamorphosed into laisser-faire partisans of the most unbridled sort.”

The local entertainment industry has largely come out in support of the bill but some groups have claimed that the measure would be a violation of individuals’ rights. Earlier this week, the Directors Guild of America said its national board had passed a resolution in support of the law.

DGA president Michael Apted said: “Our members have a tremendous stake in this battle. The DGA believes that online piracy is among the greatest of threats to the health and future of the creative industries. The growth of the Internet has allowed people to engage in piracy with the click of a button, never considering the consequences of their actions on the men and women who create the content they love. The French model is remarkable because it creates a solution that enforces the idea that piracy is serious, while avoiding unfair punitive or financial measures and the quagmire of endless lawsuits.”

Speaking to ScreenDaily, Chris Marcich, president and managing director of the Motion Picture Association’s European operation, said: “From the point of view of the international business, the bill is being watched with great interest and hope.”