FRANCE: Online anti-piracy ruling passed

Having been on the brink of approval in November last year, the French government has now given final approval to new laws that could lead to the prosecution of anyone found to have downloaded copyrighted material on three separate occasions.

The BBC reports that The Creation and Internet bill was passed by a vote of 296 to 233 by the Lower House yesterday, with the seal of approval granted by the Senate this morning.

Under the rules, a new state agency will send warning emails followed by a letter to illegal file sharers. If caught downloading a third time, a user’s internet connection will be severed.

Other governments are though to be tracking progress on the issue very carefully, and should the French trial prove a success a global rollout could follow in the coming months.