France Plans to Monitor, Foil Illegal Downloaders

France is poised to enact a far-reaching crackdown on those who illegally download music and movies, the New York Times reports. A new law expected to be approved tomorrow allows the music and film industry to monitor the downloads of individual users and report any violations to a new copyright agency. First offenders get an email, second offenders get a certified letter, and third offenders lose their Internet service.

“This law is definitely overdue and it’s only a fair and proportionate response to a major problem,” said a representative of the recording industry. Privacy advocates disagree and hope it will eventually be declared unconstitutional. Another one of its facets: those who fail to secure their personal WiFi will be guilty of a civil offense.
(More France stories.)