France’s Constitutional Council validates Internet piracy law
Associated Press
10/22/09 10:55 AM PDT
PARIS — France’s Constitutional Council has validated a landmark law that will let authorities cut off Internet access to people who repeatedly download illegally, which entertainment companies hope will reduce piracy.
The council’s announcement Thursday ends the suspense over the law’s fate. Parliament approved the bill in September, but the opposition Socialists had appealed to the council to rule on its legality.
The law’s opponents say it is a danger to civil liberties.
The Culture Ministry estimates 1,000 French Internet users a day could be taken offline. Pirates who ignore e-mail warnings and a registered letter could see their Internet connections cut for up to a year. They could also face fines of up to euro300,000 ($435,000) or jail time.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
