French reject three strikes law

The French ‘three strikes and you’re out’ Loi Hadopi has been rejected in a surprise vote by the French national Assembly last week. Just like in New Zealand, who have been preparing a similar law, the unpopular bill has been pulled in the last minute. A French newspaper reports that members of a socialist party hid behind a big curtain and stormed out in time to oppose the law. However, it has already been announced that the bill will be presented again at the end of the month for a second vote. It is expected that Sarkozy’s ruling party will do everything to ensure the bill passes this second round.

La Quadrature du Net, a French online rights organisation, has criticised the bill as being “nonsensical, inapplicable and dangerous” hopes the French Constitutional Council will invalidate many of the aspects of the bill, which are contrary to fundamental principles, such as privacy, due trail and the separation of powers. Although the European Parliament has attacked these types of legislation and has defined internet access as a fundamental freedom, countries such as Germany, Italy and Britain are following these developments, because they are considering implementing similar laws.