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Illegal Downloaders to be Blocked By French Government?
rdavison writes "According to a recent article on the Financial Times site, 'internet users in France who download music and films without paying for them could find their web access shut down by a government body.' The proposal originated with FNAC, an entertainment retailer. According to the article, the proposal has a good chance of being accepted. 'In exchange for the clampdown on illegal downloading, the music industry has agreed to make individual downloads of archive French material available on all types of players by dropping digital rights management protection. The French film industry has agreed to release DVDs more quickly after a film's first cinema screening, reducing the delay from 7½ months to 6 months. However, consumer groups and even some of Mr Sarkozy's own members of parliament on Thursday attacked the proposal for a new internet policeman as a threat to civil liberties.'"
You see the point of a law in France is to give the citizens entertainment - something to find a way around, flout, ignore or weasel around. Once caught, well then it gets more exciting.
The cultural history is of repeated cycles of revolution followed by short periods of freedom then massively repressive over-regulation leading again to revolution. It really doesn't matter who is doing the regulation - King, Emperor or President.
It is also why the French Military really never amounted to much.