French parliamentarians have given the go ahead for
tough new laws against internet piracy.
The proposed legislation will set up an agency to police the
illegal downloading of films and music and allow authorities to
block internet access to offenders for up to a year.
An alliance of eight UK creative organisations and five trade
unions is
calling for similar measures to force ISPs to monitor users and
ban those caught sharing content illegally.
The French draft legislation is widely expected to be approved
in a final vote by the senate today, reports the
Financial Times.
If approved, the legislation will cut out the French courts,
which could be controversial because according to the European
Parliament only the judiciary can take the decision to cut off
internet access to users.
French consumer groups have objected to the creation of a
non-judicial body with the power to police the internet, saying it
would threaten civil liberties.
The proposed French legislation could set an important precedent
for anti-piracy groups in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, if it is
approved and survives legal challenges from those it targets.
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