Downloading Music or Films and Law
French lawmakers reject a bill that proposed disconnecting Internet users if they download music or films illegally. French President Nicolas Sarkozy backed the bill.
The Internet bill, which is heavily supported by the music industry, would give users caught illegally downloading files two warnings and then, after a third violation, have them disconnected from the Internet for up to a year.
Under pressure from a struggling music industry, governments have long been trying to crack down on online file-swapping.
Some consumer groups have said that the proposed law could hit the wrong people, and that honest users risked being unfairly punished and forced to prove their innocence if hackers hijacked their computers’ identity.
The music industry has been lobbying for similar laws to be introduced around the world. In January, Irish Internet provider Eircom agreed to disconnect users who download music illegally in a settlement with four major record companies.
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