French law banning all piracy?

[hobbes_fan]

It's all well and good to have laws but how are they going to enforce it. ISP's are the big losers here. They boot users out fine. But quite a few stats approximate torrent traffic accounts for 40% of all ISP traffic in the world(let's be honest out of that 40% how much of it would be considered legit in any way shape or form? The majority of legit stuff floating on torrents are Linux distros and WOW updates). These are the big bandwidths users generally. They lose 40% of their client base and everyone goes back to 56k and they're stuffed. Unless they want to try charging broadband rates for a dialup service.

Note: All piracy is banned/illegal. There's really nothing new here

[Slice of Life]

First of all, from the POV of the ISP the best customer is the customer who doesn't use the net at all. Because with flatrates being the norm you'll pay regardless. And even if you downgrade to a volume rate, you won't get a contract for 3€/month just because you use only 10 percent of the bandwidth you used with your 30€ flatrate.

Second, there will be content to downnload, it's just that you won't be able to choose it freely and you'll pay for it. TV going net. All the ISPs have to do is to substract the Warner-approved streams from your traffic and see how much remains. In turn, they get their share from the revenues. The government collects a net tax. So it's a game where everybody wins. Oh, except for the consumer of course.

[raphaël]

my "first of all" is : I can't let such posts as " that's so french" or "whacky french" be on a thread like this. I'd never say "that's so american" or "so japanese" or "so scandinavian" in those terms. Maybe you don't know, but since may we got a helpless midget as a president, a midget who thinks he can rule and control everything.

I are serious animefan. this are serious matter. I'm not into politics at all, but please all check what you're saying before posting, because it really feels like you don't know what is going on in France. Not as serious as Russia, not as sad as America, but still, dangerous.

No Offense Meant. I'm a citizen of the world!

I just wanted to say how ridiculous this law is. No one could ever sue me or anyone because I download series that aren't available here.

I liked what Sazelyt said. Just an anecdote : I noticed that in the Tokyo HMV, the french music stands have grow much bigger in 5 years ( appr. from 1 stand to 4 or 5 I don't remember...). Was I proud? I don't know... I'm not sure.


Anyway. C'est la vie.

[Sukunai ni yori]

Interesting.

Well a law banning illegal activity sounds sort of I don't know, kind of oxymoronic.

Piracy is illegal. It doesn't need to be made MORE illegal ...does it?

Or was illegality less illegal in France until just recently?

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by raphaël

my "first of all" is : I can't let such posts as " that's so french" or "whacky french" be on a thread like this. I'd never say "that's so american" or "so japanese" or "so scandinavian" in those terms. Maybe you don't know, but since may we got a helpless midget as a president, a midget who thinks he can rule and control everything.

Actually, I usually say "O those wacky japanese!" but I use the line on just about every nationality when they do something hilarious, absurd, or disturbing (yes, even the scary disturbing USA) --- if I *really* wanted to rail at the French, I'd resort to a barrel full of Monty Python references. I happen to *love* national and cultural differences and think they should be cherished and preserved.

Beyond that, yeah, I'm very sympathetic to the French since they seem to have garnered themselves a "Bush-lite" in the form of Sarkozy. These moves also seem to run counter to EU thinking on various subjects.

At some point, the house of cards falls --- the entertainment industry will find that no one wants to buy their products anymore because all they carry are sticks and no carrots. The real terror will come when artists as a whole figure out they don't need the conglomerates to get their work out into the world (which is why these industries would like to kill the internet).

[raikage]

Originally Posted by raphaël

I just wanted to say how ridiculous this law is. No one could ever sue me or anyone because I download series that aren't available here.

Yes, they could.

That is all. /

Vexx, I somewhat disagree with the premise that because of the Internet, artists will not need the conglomerates.

In theory, you're correct.

In practice... well, I invoke Sturgeon's law (90 percent of everything is crap) and, taking into account the "everyone is equal" Internet, that 90 percent will quickly jump north of 95 percent.

Most indie bands aren't not picked up because labels fear them, most aren't picked up because, quite frankly, they're not that good.

If you (figurative you) think radio music is terrible now, just wait til every single garage band in the world is on equal footing.

So you still need someone to filter them.

Even if you take the view that 'cream will rise to the top,' it will still only reach those music fans who take the time to look for such things. By and large, *shrugs* most of the population doesn't want to do that kind of legwork.

[WanderingKnight]

If you (figurative you) think radio music is terrible now, just wait til every single garage band in the world is on equal footing.

I don't think that it really matters. What matters to me is that, no matter how good or bad they are, no artist or record label backing them deserves the absurd amounts of money they're making today. Unless they come clean and admit that the majority of the millions of dollars those people earn go to support their coke-snorting parties, I'll continue supporting indie musicians. Even if they're not that good, at least they're honest about it

[Vexx]

@raikage: I can't dispute your caveats. Only that I think there's a sane median between the current system and what I'm postulating. The "middlemen" in the entertainment business are extremely irrelevant compared to the amount of money they siphon between the artists and their audience with modern technology. An artist could employ some nimble savvy marketeers coupled with modern distribution and live concerts to enjoy a decent living.

Actually, I'm a patron of Magnatunes. They look for indie musicians that meet their "taste criteria" and then I can browse the selection and pay *what I think its worth* for music downloads. I've given as much as $30 for an album (and as low as "I don't download it and pay nothing"). I simply try to support artists I like with the money I can set aside for entertainment.

[Spectacular_Insanity]

This whole idea is pretty funny. I have only one thing to say about this whole thing...

Spoiler for ...and it's this:

I mean really, trying to stop things over the internet? Next to impossible, right up there with me growing wings and taking flight. XD

(I made the poster myself. )

[Potatochobit]

I like the french.

they help maintain proper balance in the world. they deserve more credit.

Look at all the wondeful things they have brought into the world:

Maid outfits with lace fishnet stockings
Ratatouille
French fries
Ooh lah lah!
I spit on you!
Tour de France
the Baguette
the napoleon

and now:
GOVERMENT INTERNETZ FILTERZ

actually, it might be remotely possible. you would have to ban an entire countries ISP range though maybe.

[Jigsy]

The British government have now come up with a new idea ...

Here. :/

[siya]

We hate piracy untill there is a movie that comes out that we want to see...Then we wait for a pirater to pirate it and upload it to the interent..then we watch it, love them, then after it's over we go back to hateing them..xD

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by raikage

Vexx, I somewhat disagree with the premise that because of the Internet, artists will not need the conglomerates.

In theory, you're correct.

In practice... well, I invoke Sturgeon's law (90 percent of everything is crap) and, taking into account the "everyone is equal" Internet, that 90 percent will quickly jump north of 95 percent.
...

Even if you take the view that 'cream will rise to the top,' it will still only reach those music fans who take the time to look for such things. By and large, *shrugs* most of the population doesn't want to do that kind of legwork.

Well... I watched the Grammies last night.... if that's the cream of the crop I'm pretty much done with industry music

The one highlight was that young quirky lady who couldn't get a visa into the US (boy, I feel safer now O.o ... not). She was actually entertaining.

The music industry is long overdue for a discontinuity to shake out the parasites. We'll just see how it goes.

[Slice of Life]

I just read that after the British government the Australians are planning to force the IP providers to control the communication, too. Looks like not only the Brits are just Frenchmen in denial but also the Aussies.

[mist2123]

They suck i mean they are taking away ur right to use the internet after three "strikes"

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

I just read that after the British government the Australians are planning to force the IP providers to control the communication, too. Looks like not only the Brits are just Frenchmen in denial but also the Aussies.

This is starting to sound like the whole communications "you're safe if you don't ask whats in the packet" common carrier thing is about to unravel.

I can't wait for the first child porn lawsuits against the big ISPs.... more seriously, I'm getting the distinct feeling now that the Internet has been seen, the governments fundamentally don't like it anymore. All those "consumers" getting the same output chances as corporations and all.

[D a m i e n]

i remember hearing about this back in september /october 2007. i m french and all i ll say is :
lol our president is pretty retard

[Goshin]

We must Convene the Brethren Court to fight off government menace!. we'll meet at the next anime convention .
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I don't know if the name is taken yet but I was think of becoming a pirate withe the name jack sparrow .

how will they stop them if the have a laptop, and just go form hotspot to hotspot to download stuff ?

[Rahan]

Originally Posted by D a m i e n

i remember hearing about this back in september /october 2007. i m french and all i ll say is :
lol our president is pretty retard

No one cares about that law anymore anyways. I have not heard of a case of lawsuit since the law was voted.

Typical of our government. Lot of laws (to solve all and every world's problems), but no one to enforces them. (which is alas a good thing most of the time with our hopeless governments)

And yeah, Sarkozy is retarded, but he is banging Carla Bruni now.

[TinyRedLeaf]

France passes anti-piracy Bill

Paris (May 13): French lawmakers in the lower house on Tuesday (May 12) passed a Bill that would cut the Internet connections of those who repeatedly download music and films illegally, creating what may be the first government agency to track and punish online pirates.

The bill passed 296 to 233 in a show of force by President Nicolas Sarkozy's governing conservatives after an initial failure last month. The Senate was likely to definitively pass the measure today. But even then, the battle will be far from over.

The Bill defies a European Parliament measure passed last week prohibiting European Union (EU) governments from cutting off a user's Internet connection without first passing through a court of law. That still needs a final stamp after negotiations with the European Council.

The legislation by Sarkozy's government is hotly opposed by the rival Socialists as well as militants who claim that it will quash freedoms by denying accused Internet pirates the right to challenge the charges against them. Others fear it will pave the way for Big Brother-style intrusions by the government into citizens' private lives.

But international music labels, film distributors and artists have hailed the bill as a decisive step in combating online piracy in France, where CD and DVD sales have plummeted 60 per cent in the past six years.

The measure, sponsored by Culture Minister Christine Albanel, would introduce a "graduated riposte" for those pirating music and films. Warnings to culprits would begin with two e-mail messages followed by a certified letter. If the piracy continues within the following year, Internet access could be cut for a period of two months to a year, while the user keeps paying for the service.

The Bill would create a government agency to sanction offenders, leaving monitoring efforts to entertainment industry watchdogs.

Legal experts say such an agency could be the first of its kind in the world, noting that the French bill also represents the first time a government has threatened to sever Internet connections in the battle against online piracy.

Critics say the law misses the point, targeting traditional downloads at a time when online streaming is taking off, for example. Others contend that users downloading from public Wi-Fi hotspots or using masked IP addresses might be impossible to trace.

"The law is ineffective, inapplicable and dangerous," said Mr Jeremie Zimmerman, who heads a Paris-based Internet freedom activist group.

- ASSOCIATED PRESS