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France Seeks To Push 3-Strikes Law Across Europe

Posted by timothy on from the vive-l'somethingeruther dept.

quanticle writes "As you may recall, France previously threatened to cut off broadband access for file sharers. However, after lobbying by the public, the legislation failed in the National Assembly. Now, the government of Nicolas Sarkozy is trying to revive the the measure by pushing it as an amendment to the pan-European Telecoms Package. This amendment has the potential to impose 3-strikes across Europe, not just in France."

9 of 265 comments (clear)

  1. Re:so we can hate the french again? by discord5 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you would hate just Sarkozy, it should be quite enough. Most French don't like him either (and no, not just because of filesharing).

    Oh trust me, the rest of Europe isn't too keen on him either

  2. For fuck's sake by Yahweh+Doesn't+Exist · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why are politicians so retarded?

    You are there to represent the people and your country. If you find yourself having to subvert the will of your public, your constitution, your own justice system etc., then take that as a big fucking clue that YOU ARE WRONG and the best way for you to help is to STFU.

    1. Re:For fuck's sake by Krneki · · Score: 4, Insightful

      They represent whoever pays for their election campaign, they don't give a damn about people as long as it doesn't affect their vote too much.

      --
      Love many, trust a few, do harm to none.
    2. Re:For fuck's sake by digitig · · Score: 4, Insightful

      And there is no way that lobbyists could get around this by lobbying the opinion formers (eg, the press) rather than by directly funding the political campaigns, is there?

      --
      Quidnam Latine loqui modo coepi?
  3. Re:This and G8... by mdwh2 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Although I think direct democracy would have its own problems too - we'd be under the will of the masses.

    There are some things that referendums are appropriate for (issues that affect everyone), but just look at what happens when you put questions like "Should gay people be allowed to marry" to referendums as I believe has happened in some US states.

    I'm not sure how things would work in this case - whilst few people would care about the record industry and most people happily copy CDs/tapes, filesharing is still something only done by a minority of people AFAIK, and most people probably don't see the Internet as some fundamental need, so I fear that a proposal to ban filesharers (especially with a bit of campaigning that associates "filesharing" with not only "stealing", but terrorism and p0rn) would still get passed in a referendum.

    Here in the UK, our unelected second house is the only thing that can stop some of the authoritarian measures the Government is pushing through (similarly with the unelected Supreme Court in the US being the thing which protects the Constitution).

  4. Re:so we can hate the french again? by digitig · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The rest of Europe (indeed, the rest of the world) should have no say in the democratic election, but is free to have an opinion on the resulting democratically elected official. After all (checking carefully for Godwin), the fact of his initial democratic election did not prevent much of the rest of the world taking a view of Adolf Hitler, did it?

    --
    Quidnam Latine loqui modo coepi?
  5. Shamed of being French right now by fgaliegue · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because I am.

    Curiously, some French politicians are brilliant, but they're not part of the French government.

    A French "European deputy" (for lack of a better name) has opposed this three-strike legislation, arguing (rightly so imho) that "an industry that is not able to make do with new consumer habits [the Internet]" shouldn't impose its rules to the government. The French government hasn't listened.

    Michel Rocard is famous for opposing software patents. The French government hasn't listened.

    French automobile club leaders, the least of which is not the president of the ACO (Automobile Club de l'Ouest, supervising the 24 hours of Le Mans) said that the pollution tax is a mistake, because one already exists and that's the TIPP (Taxe Intérieure sur les Produits Pétroliers, Internal Tax on Petrol-derived Goods, for lack of a batter name) that one pays for each centilitre of gasoline/Diesel in the tank, and that there's no reason than a guy driving only 3000 miles a year in his Ferrari should pay more than one driving ten times that in his Diesel Renault Logan. The French government doesn't listen.

    Just, where has common sense gone?

  6. Re:Why do Politicians actually care? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They're a bunch of bureaucratic, cheese crazed socialists and that's not the sort of place I want to live in.

    To anyone who's had their financial life destroyed by medical bills here in the US, I bet it sounds pretty good, actually.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  7. Re:so we can hate the french again? by feathersmg · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Most French don't like him either (and no, not just because of filesharing)

    Geez, he didn't get elected all that long ago. What did he do to piss everyone off so quickly?

    Well, he just did what he promised to do : help rich people to earn more money, throw more and more dark skinned people in jail, etc ... Indeed, at least 53% of french people can't read and vote for the candidate most seen on TV. The problem is : all elections are over, president and national assembly are elected and we're stuck with him and all his friends for the next 4 years.