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French internet users who frequently download illegal music and movies will risk losing their internet connection, according to a newly passed anti-piracy law. This three-way pact between the French government, internet service providers and the local recording industry will allow ISPs to spy on their users and give warnings if they download stuff over P2P networks. These users will be given three “illegal downloading” warnings before their internet connection gets terminated.

This law is backed by French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, who argues that P2P not only harmed retailers, as well as the music and film industries, but also directly impacted French culture by reducing the amount of tax income from movies and cable television.

This law will require French ISPs to monitor all traffic from their users inorder to ensure that content isn’t pirated. If the ISPs fail to enforce this strictly, they’ll be fined by the government. French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, says: “We run the risk of witnessing a genuine destruction of culture…The Internet must not become a high-tech Far West, a lawless zone where outlaws can pillage works with abandon or, worse, trade in them in total impunity. And on whose backs? On artists’ backs.”

Although I’m no way connected with France, I’m deeply worried because now that the record industry has France as a role model, they’ll soon start pushing similar laws elsewhere. I hope this doesn’t happen! This is simply killing freedom.

[Via: tech-buzz.net->TechCrunch -> NYTimes]

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