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French ISPs agree to spy on Internet users to stop online piracy

10 October, 2007
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(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

The Association of the French ISPs (AFA) agreed to propose concrete solutions to stop illegal downloading, following the discussion on 3 October 2007 with the Commission fighting Internet piracy led by Denis Olivennes. The solutions included the introduction of a system to detect the Internet users that illegally post copyrighted contents on the Internet.

On 5 September 2007, this French Commission received its formal mission from the French government to find ways of combating illegal downloads on the Internet and thus support the legal cinema and music offer. By taking the decision to create this mission, the French government wanted to show its determination to take initiatives against online piracy and support the cultural industry. "The idea that everything is possible must come to an end. We cannot let the idea that culture must be free of charge and that creation (...) has no price, therefore no value" stated Christine Albanel, Minister of Culture. On that occasion she also suggested to offer Internet users an alternative like that of the offer of limited music downloading made by Neuf Cegetel in partnership with Universal. Denis Olivennes, President-Director General of FNAC, the largest French retailer of cultural and consumer electronics products, was appointed president of this Commission (called Olivennes mission).

The Commission led by Olivennes is to consider issues such as price, interoperability, DRM and any aspects that can favour legal downloading. As the issue of contraventions for illegal downloading was eliminated from the copyright law (DADVSI), the Olivennes mission has also the task to come up with tools and measures to address this subject. One topic that was excluded for the mission was that of the global licence considered dangerous by the Minister of Culture and to which President Nicolas Sarkozy promised to oppose during his election campaign.

During the meeting with the Commission, AFA suggested the introduction of a system to detect the Internet users that illegally post copyrighted contents on the Internet, such as music or movies, based on "radar" robot computers that would react as if their users wanted to download content on P2P networks. The system would use different ISP accounts and dynamic addresses in order to keep anonymous. The Association did not however want to monitor the system suggesting that it should be placed outside the ISPs networks. The system "must be administered by a police authority as it touches questions of individual liberty" stated Dahlia Kownator, AFA general delegate .On the other hand the association opposed to any type of content filtering which is considered an inefficient tool, especially as regards the encrypted transmission .

Another suggestion made by the AFA was that warning messages could be sent to Internet users by a public authority as it was done in the US. AFA also agreed to contraventions as a last measure, but with the parallel development of legal opportunities to buy content on the Internet.

The idea of contraventions is favoured however by the National Union of the Phonographic that hopes the idea will be resumed. Not surprisingly its General Director, Hervé Rony considers there is the need of rapid sanctions for the Internet user who makes illegal downloads. He believes that there should be a legal way to fine such downloading, something similar to a fine for speeding.

ISPs favourable to anti-pirates "radars" (only in French, 5.10.2007)
http://www.01net.com/editorial/360819/les-fournisseurs-d-acces-favorab...

The government reopen the illegal downloading file (only in French, 5.09.2007)
http://www.01net.com/editorial/358286/le-gouvernement-rouvre-le-dossie...

 

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