article updated on the score of vote on 28.04
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Deutsch: 3 Treffer-Gesetz von französichen Abgeordneten abgelehnt
On 9 April 2009, the French Parliament voted against the so called Hadopi law introducing the graduate response, against the recommendation of the Joint Mixed Commission (CMP - Commission Mixte Paritaire). The law had been voted by the National Assembly on 2 April, supported by CMP on 7 April and further on voted by the Senate.
In an unexpected move, the present deputies, however, decided to reject the draft law, taking advantage of the low number of deputies left in the assembly. The vote was 21 for and 15 against, the rest of the 541 deputies being not present.
Some of the deputies voted against the text considering it to be too hard especially by the introduction by CMP of what the opponents called the "double pain". The text was stipulating that the Internet users allegdly found to illegally download copyrighted material, after receiving two warnings, would continue to pay the access subscription while having their access cut off, for a period from two months to one year.
"This is an extraordinary victory for the citizens. This vote proves it is still possible to be heard. It is a fantastic example of the use of Net to counter those who attempt to control it," said Jérémie Zimmermann, co-fonder and spokesman of La Quadrature du Net.
The French Government intends to reintroduce the text to the General Assembly and the Senate. Only, it will have to change the text as it was before being introduced to the CMP.
The Government would certainly wish to preserve the double pain measure in order to avoid having to pay compensations to the ISPs in case of access suspension.
In the mean time, Nicolas Sarkozy, the initiator of the three strikes measure, makes pressure to block the Bono amendment from of the Telecom Package in the European Parliament. However, the ITRE committee in the EP has reintroduced the amendement, thus leaving the plenary with the final decision.
The Hadopi law will be reexamined by the French National Assembly only on 29 April probably after a final decision on Bono amendment is taken, hence Sarkosy's high pressure on blocking it. The new text of the draft law is available on the National Assembly website.
The Parliament rejects the draft law on illegal downloading (only in French,
9.04.2009)
http://www.laquadrature.net/fr/hadopi-rejetee-a-lassemblee
Hadopi rejected in the Assembly! (only in French, 9.04.2009)
http://www.lemonde.fr/technologies/article/2009/04/09/le-parlement-rej...
Downloading: the draft law rejected (only in French, 9.04.2009)
http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2009/04/09/01011-20090409FILWWW00451...
New Draft Hadopi Law (only in French, 20.04.2009)
http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/13/projets/pl1618.asp
EDRI-gram: French National Assembly votes for the three strikes law
(8.04.2009)
http://www.edri.org/edri-gram/number7.7/france-adopts-3-strikes-law