May 13th, 2009
Sarkozy's Draconian downloading law to pass, then die
In an amazing example of government stupidity, the French Parliament is poised to pass a law that punishes illegal downloaders where it really hurts — cutting off Internet access — and would create the first government bureaucracy dedicated to hunting down serial copyright violators.
Much as Dick Cheney cemented his reputation as Vice President of Torture, France’s Nicolas Sarkozy is digging himself in as the Draconian President, seeing as how the European Parliament passed a resolution barring just this sort of Big Government intrusion.
AP reports that the French lower house passed Sarkozy’s bill 296-233 and passage in the French Senate is a, well, fait accompli.
The measure, sponsored by Culture Minister Christine Albanel, would introduce a “graduated riposte” for those pirating music and films. Warnings to culprits would begin with two e-mails followed by a certified letter. If the piracy continues within the following year Internet access can be cut from two months to a year — while the user keeps paying for the service.
And this is good: “A government organization to oversee that the law is properly carried out would be created.”
Unbelievable.
Cory Doctorow points to an article by French activist Jeremie Zimmermann claiming that regardless of passage, the law, HADOPI, is “dead.”
HADOPI is legally dead because it opposes to fundamental principles of French and European law, including the respect of a fair trial, principle of proportionality and separation of powers.
HADOPI is technically dead because it entirely relies on identifying users through their IP address that can be altered or high-jacked in many ways
HADOPI is dead in the media because government’s propaganda didn’t stand for long under close scrutiny from citizens over the net
HADOPI is dead politically, right in the middle of an “Hadopigate ” revealing unhealthy collusion between Minister of culture and big media close to the president Sarkozy
