French internet piracy bill passes on third attempt

The French lower house has narrowly approved some of the toughest anti-internet-piracy legislation in the world, a bill that would permit authorities to cut the internet connection of illegal downloaders, impose fines of hundreds of thousands of euros and even jail repeat offenders.

The Hadopi bill, named for the new anti-piracy agency it creates, was backed on Tuesday (15 September) by most members of the governing centre-right UMP group in the National Assembly and resisted by the opp...