p2pnet news view Freedom | P2P:- French president Nicolas Sarkozy is a good friend to music labels Vivendi Universal, EMI, Warner Music and Sony Music, and Hollywood studios Time Warner, Viacom, Fox, Sony, NBC Universal and Disney.

The citizens of France had made it crystal clear to him the corporate entertainment cartel ‘three strikes’ law, under which ISPs would become corporate copyright cops, and users identified as file sharers could lose their Internet connections, is totally unacceptable.

But, with the news that Britain has wisely decided not to implement the entertainment cartel-inspired ‘law,’  he’s still determined the interests of Hollywood and the Big 4 labels come before those of the people of France.

Sarkozy will today, “seek to reverse the humiliating rejection of an internet piracy bill after his ruling UMP party was caught short (of bums on seats) in the National Assembly earlier this month,” says Henry Samuel in The Telegraph, continuing »»»

The Socialists scored a childishly theatrical coup to throw out the so-called Creation and Internet bill, with a hotly contested clause to cut off repeat illegal downloaders from the internet: a group of them quietly hid behind the lower house of parliament’s thick red curtains only to jump out seconds before the vote, thus outnumbering their right-wing rivals, many of whom had failed to show up. Grown up democracy at its best.

Normally, the UMP would have called in last-minute reinforcements to secure the bill, but the party’s minister in charge of parliamentary relations, Roger Karoutchi, was lulled into thinking his troops were in the majority until the opposition members leapt out ahead of the vote. Mortified, Karoutchi has promised to remain in parliament 24/7 to make sure he’s not caught out again.

But an apoplectic Sarko has other ideas. “Karoutchi needs a holiday: he’s going to get a long one,” roared Sarko, according to Le Canard Enchaîné. He’s reportedly promised to replace him with someone “with balls”.

Says Agency France-Presse »»»

Backed by the record and film industries but attacked by consumer groups, the bill was rejected this month in a surprise setback for President Nicolas Sarkozy’s government that was blamed on low turnout among majority lawmakers.

“The Internet cannot be above the law,” said Culture Minister Christine Albanel, who was booed and whistled by the Socialist opposition as she defended the amended text in front of a packed National Assembly.

Under a “three-strikes” system, the law would set up a state agency to send illegal file-sharers an email warning, then a letter, and suspend their Internet account for up to a year if they are caught a third time.

Supporters hope the bill, “will wean web users away from pirated films and music, and towards fledgling legal download sites”.

Fledgling legal download sites, eh?

One has to laugh. But hollowly.

Meanwhile, “The music industry, hurt by falling revenues as fans download songs for free [and show their disgust with the labels by boycotting them], has lobbied the French and other governments strenuously to introduce the law,”" says Reuters, adding:

“Critics argue that hackers could steal other users’ identities to download music and the victims would then have to prove their innocence. Some artists also worry that such a law would pit them against their fans.”

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wisely decided – UK backs out of corporate `3 strikes` law, April 29, 2009
Agency France-Presse – French Internet piracy bill back in parliament, April 29, 2009
Reuters – French parliament debates Internet piracy again, April 29, 2009