A total of 60 French internet users are currently under risk of having their internet connections cut off after continually ignoring warnings about illegal file-sharing activities.
In what could be a landmark event, the 60 pirates face fines of €1,500 each and a month of going cold turkey with no net connection, reports our sister publication, PC Pro.
The action comes off the back of the French government's ‘three strikes’ policy, which was implemented last year in a bid to curb illegal file-sharing.
To give an indication of the amount of people flouting the rules, the succinctly titled Haute Autorité pour la Diffusion des Oeuvres et la Protection des Droits sur Internet agency (or HADOPI to the sane) has sent out approximately 650,000 first warning letters to French internet users.
Of these 650,000, 44,000 have received a second letter after their file sharing activities failed to stop, and of these only the 60 people in question continued their activities. They now face a home visit from HADOPI officials to determine if the agency wishes to push ahead with the fine and internet ban.
Thankfully, the UK is still some way from actually implementing its own three strikes policy, as outlined in the Digital Economy Act. However, the success of the events in France shows what we could potentially be seeing over here in the future.
Are you a French internet user who has received a letter? Do you think governments should be taking the lead role on stamping out internet piracy? Let us know your thoughts in the forums.
In what could be a landmark event, the 60 pirates face fines of €1,500 each and a month of going cold turkey with no net connection, reports our sister publication, PC Pro.
The action comes off the back of the French government's ‘three strikes’ policy, which was implemented last year in a bid to curb illegal file-sharing.
To give an indication of the amount of people flouting the rules, the succinctly titled Haute Autorité pour la Diffusion des Oeuvres et la Protection des Droits sur Internet agency (or HADOPI to the sane) has sent out approximately 650,000 first warning letters to French internet users.
Of these 650,000, 44,000 have received a second letter after their file sharing activities failed to stop, and of these only the 60 people in question continued their activities. They now face a home visit from HADOPI officials to determine if the agency wishes to push ahead with the fine and internet ban.
Thankfully, the UK is still some way from actually implementing its own three strikes policy, as outlined in the Digital Economy Act. However, the success of the events in France shows what we could potentially be seeing over here in the future.
Are you a French internet user who has received a letter? Do you think governments should be taking the lead role on stamping out internet piracy? Let us know your thoughts in the forums.
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