France Changes “Three-Strikes” to Judge Ordering Disconnections
The Council determined that only a judge, and not a govt agency such as the Haute Autorité pour la Diffusion des Oeuvres et la Protection des droits sur Internet (HADOPI), which was to be responsible for disconnecting users under the “Creation and Internet” law, could do so.
The French govt was initially taken aback by the ruling, though I can’t understand how considering the EU Parliament even determined that Internet access is a fundamental right in the 21st century, and immediately promised to submit a revised version of the law to satisfy the concerns of the Constitutional Council.
In a press release following the ruling, French Culture Minister Christine Albanel said that the HADOPI, instead of disconnecting users, will “now solely be in charge of the preventive and educational component of the fight against piracy.”
