The French Parliament had previously passed a new law requiring Internet service providers (ISPs) to cut off access to pirates, and since it received a unanimous approval most expected the law to sail through the Senate and National Assembly. Not a chance.
The French law proposed by Parliament was the “HADOPI” (Creation and Internet) law, requiring ISPs to send notices to alleged file-sharers who would lose their Internet connection upon receiving a third warning. ISPs would have also been required to block file-sharing sites like The Pirate Bay.
Despite public outcry and criticism from industry analysts who said it would not curb piracy, the French Parliament and Senate both approved the measure. To the surprise of pretty much everyone, the bill did not make it through the National Assembly.
The Assembly discussed the law for roughly two hours, and then rejected the bill by a vote of 21-15. According to various French press, the Socialist Party changed its initial position on the law and decided to vote against because of the outcry from French citizens. “There was a wind of revolt in the country, which engulfed the Assembly and made us move from opposition to the majority,” a Socialist member told Ecrans. “The government is now in trouble.” Christine Albanel, the French minister of culture, called the vote a “trap” set up by the Socialists.
The law is still not dead, however. It is likely to be voted on again this month, with some members saying it will resurface on April 27. Public opinion is not likely to change before then, so lawmakers could pull it off the table to avoid another political embarrassment.
The “three-strikes” policy has been touted by a lot of industry and lobbying bodies, but governments have slowly begun rejecting it, usually at the behest of their citizens. Last month, the European Parliament came out against such laws, saying that Internet access was a “fundamental freedom,” which should not be denied by such policies.