On Monday, the Hadopi agency announced that it has sent 470,878 e-mail warnings to illegal downloaders. Hadopi is the authority that executes the Three Strikes policy of the French government. The controversial Three Strikes Act lays down a regulatory framework that makes it possible to disconnect internet users if they engage in illegal file sharing, after they have received three notifications of violating copyrights due to illegal downloading.

Within 9 months, Hadopi has received 18 million reports from rights holders of unauthorized file-sharing of copyright works, each one identifying the downloaded copyright work and the IP address alleged to have downloaded it.

Subsequently, Hadopi has sent over one million requests to French ISP’s asking them to identify the subscribers associated with the IP addresses. Ultimately Hadopi sent 470,878 e-mails as a first warning. In this e-mail, the user is informed about the illegal downloads.  A second warning, this time by registered mail, was sent to 20,598 people that continued downloading within a six-month period.

The authority is now considering whether to initiate legal proceedings against some subscribers who have already been notified a third time. Such a procedure could lead to a fine of up to €1,500 and the suspension of Internet access for up to a month.

Reference: PCworld.com