French pirates may want to think twice about downloading that episode Entourage off the Pirate Bay. A new law just passed the Sénat that would cut file-sharers off the Internet. Those caught illegally sharing material, be it music, movies, software, or whatever else, will be warned, both by e-mail and regular mail. After two such warnings your connection is shut off.
Under the law, a new government body would be created to help patrol the France’s Internet use.
The law now has to be approved by the lower house of Parliament, the Assemblée nationale, which is directly elected by citizens.
There’s only one small problem with the proposed law: it directly conflicts with the wishes of all mighty Brussels, which has called such a measure—kicking people off the Internet for file-sharing—to be a violation of “civil liberties and human rights.”
Don’t mess with Brussels is the new Don’t mess with Texas.