Mobile UPI  |   About UPI  |   UPI en Español  |   UPI Arabic  |   UPIU  |   My Account
Search:
Go

France may penalize Internet pirates

|
|
 
  
Published: Nov. 1, 2008 at 1:56 AM

PARIS, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The French Senate has approved a three strikes law for Internet users who download copyrighted entertainment without paying for it.

The legislation must also be approved by the lower house of parliament, the EU Observer reported. The goal is to force people now engaged in electronic piracy of movies, music and video games to use legal sources like iTunes.

The "graduated response" would start with an e-mail warning. Those who persist would get a letter by snail mail.

Internet service providers would cut off access for a year to those who continue to pirate copyrighted material after the second warning.

The Senate passed the law 297 to 15 with Communists abstaining. The Senate rejected an amendment by Bruno Retailleau, a right-wing senator, who wanted to substitute a fine for the service cut-off. Retailleau argued that depriving people of Internet access is unfair because the service often comes bundled with television, telephone and other services.

© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
  
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
The Tibetan Moniam Festival in China Super Bowl XLVI ticker tape victory parade Proposition 8 ruled unconstitutional in California
AARP Movies for Grownups Award Gala The Most Desirable Women of 2012 Snowy Owls make appearance in Washington
Additional Top News Stories
1 of 15
Rose McGowan at The Heart Truth's Red Dress Fall 2012 Collections at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week In New York
View Caption
fark
Rhinoceros accidentally killed by conservationists during anti-poaching demo
Researchers develop way to scan liquids that may allow travelers to carry on enough vodka to relieve...
If you ever drop your weed by the side of the road let it go, because man, it's gone, and the cops...
DUDE, the guy in full police uniform probably isn't in on the robbery
Rick Santorum isn't the only politician with a surging Google problem
Kodak moment finally runs out