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P2P (More) Legal in France

A reader writes:"A french appeal court ruled yesterday in favour of somebody who downloaded about 500 movies, on the ground that those were private copies, and that he didn't redistributed them, and that a tax was payed on blank media. This sets the huge precedent that P2P is legal over there. For the details, apparently no distinction was made on the method used to download the movies (upload issues) and the famous EUCD directive was even used by the defending lawyer." You'll want the fish for this one, unless you speak French.

10 of 463 comments (clear)

  1. The Complete Military History of France by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    - Gallic Wars
    - Lost. In a war whose ending foreshadows the next 2000 years of French history, France is conquered by of all things, an Italian.

    - Hundred Years War
    - Mostly lost, saved at last by female schizophrenic who inadvertently creates The First Rule of French Warfare; "France's armies are victorious only when not led by a Frenchman." Sainted.

    - Italian Wars
    - Lost. France becomes the first and only country to ever lose two wars when fighting Italians.

    - Wars of Religion
    - France goes 0-5-4 against the Huguenots

    - Thirty Years War
    - France is technically not a participant, but manages to get invaded anyway. Claims a tie on the basis that eventually the other participants started ignoring her.

    - War of Revolution
    - Tied. Frenchmen take to wearing red flowerpots as chapeaux.

    - The Dutch War
    - Tied

    - War of the Augsburg League/King William's War/French and Indian War
    - Lost, but claimed as a tie. Three ties in a row induces deluded Frogophiles the world over to label the period as the height of French military power.

    - War of the Spanish Succession
    - Lost. The War also gave the French their first taste of a Marlborough, which they have loved every since.

    - American Revolution
    - In a move that will become quite familiar to future Americans, France claims a win even though the English colonists saw far more action. This is later known as "de Gaulle Syndrome", and leads to the Second Rule of French Warfare; "France only wins when America does most of the fighting."

    - French Revolution
    - Won, primarily due the fact that the opponent was also French.

    - The Napoleonic Wars
    - Lost. Temporary victories (remember the First Rule!) due to leadership of a Corsican, who ended up being no match for a British footwear designer.

    - The Franco-Prussian War
    - Lost. Germany first plays the role of drunk Frat boy to France's ugly girl home alone on a Saturday night.

    - World War I
    - Tied and on the way to losing, France is saved by the United States. Thousands of French women find out what it's like to not only sleep with a winner, but one who doesn't call her "Fraulein." Sadly, widespread use of condoms by American forces forestalls any improvement in the French bloodline.

    - World War II
    - Lost. Conquered French liberated by the United States and Britain just as they finish learning the Horst Wessel Song.

    - War in Indochina
    - Lost. French forces plead sickness; take to bed with the Dien Bien Flu

    - Algerian Rebellion
    - Lost. Loss marks the first defeat of a western army by a Non-Turkic Muslim force since the Crusades, and produces the First Rule of Muslim Warfare; "We can always beat the French." This rule is identical to the First Rules of the Italians, Russians, Germans, English, Dutch, Spanish, Vietnamese and Esquimaux.

    - War on Terrorism
    - France, keeping in mind its recent history, surrenders to Germans and Muslims just to be safe. Attempts to surrender to Vietnamese ambassador fail after he takes refuge in a McDonald's.

    The question for any country silly enough to count on the French should not be "Can we count on the French?", but rather "How long until France collapses?"

    "Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without an accordion. All you do is leave behind a lot of noisy baggage."

    Or, better still, the quote from last week's Wall Street Journal: "They're there when they need you."

    With only an hour and a half of research, Jonathan Duczkowski provided the following losses:

    Norse invasions, 841-911.
    After having their way with the French for 70 years, the Norse are bribed by a French King named Charles the Simple (really!) who gave them Normandy in return for peace. Normans proceed to become just about the only positive military bonus in France's [favour] for next 500 years.

    Mexico, 1863-1864.
    France attempts to take advantage of Mexico's weakness following its thorough thr

    1. Re:The Complete Military History of France by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      While I'm not going to go through a point-by-point addressing of your massive over-simplification, let's keep a few things in mind.

      Napoleonic Wars - Massively reshaped Europe. Modern world would not be the same without the Napoleonic Wars, in a very big way. We often forget that while Napoleon was nuts, he brought a great deal of modern change when he invaded a nation/city, like full rights for Jews.

      American Revolution - hardly the case that France only won this because Americans did most of the fighting; the English colonists would have surely lost without the French intervention. We often forget just how close the American Revolution was, the Continental Congress was basically out of money at the end, and Yorktown was a last-ditch effort that would have failed had it not been for the French (Admiral De Grasse) blockade of the harbor, preventing Cornwallis from getting reinforcements from Admiral Graves and Clinton. Let's not even get started on how quickly the revolution would have been over without Holland supplying goods in defiance of English will.

  2. Well all I can say is... by bechthros · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    ...let the French-bashing begin, *sigh*...

    1. Re:Well all I can say is... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      I hate the french.

  3. First Post by woginuk · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Just Yesterday I had my first story submitted. And today I get the first post. Wow! Or do I?

  4. Payed? by Flakeloaf · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    The word is PAID. Anyone unable to expressify themselfs in something approximmattinng third grade English should have himselve shot.

    --

    Am I the only one who heard Roxette to sing "I'm gonna get blitzed for some sex"?

  5. In related news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    In related news, president Bush is planning the bombing of France.

  6. Payed?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Christ almighty, aren't there ANY literate staff at Slashdot? Hey, we don't expect much from the posters. Because they're mostly 30-ish rejects who still live in their mother's basements. But geeeeez Hemos!

  7. Pirates Ninjas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    This just proves that Pirates ARE > Ninjas!

    -Rick

  8. Re:Opening phrase of the article by robyannetta · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    In a similar quote from Family Guy...

    Cleveland: The only British I know is that "fag" means cigarette.

    Peter: Well, somebody tell this cigarette to shut up.

    Okay, a bit offtopic, but still funny as hell.

    --
    - Just my $0.02, take with a grain of salt, your mileage may vary.