(France) Government pushes through “spruced-up” version of draconian Internet piracy bill

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    Date: 
    21 September 2009

    The repressive mentality that imbues France’s anti-piracy bill, even its new version, could jeopardise access to information when alternative ways exist to protect literary and artistic creation, Reporters Without Borders said today. The bill is being rushed thought parliament with the support of President Sarkozy, who has said he wants to “go all the way” with it.

    The new version, dubbed “HADOPI 2” after the acronym of the special agency it would create, the High Authority for the Dissemination of Creative Works and Protection of Rights on the Internet (HADOPI), was passed by the National Assembly on 15 September after the original version, “HADOPI 1,” was thrown out by the Constitutional Council in June.