EU to Offer Fileshares More Protection From ISPs

WOW just wow.

The news follows the passing of a "three strikes" law in France earlier this year. The law gives internet users
three chances before disconnecting them. First time offenders are sent a warning via email. They are then sent a later in the post if they continue to download illegally. Finally, if they are caught a third time, their ISP will disconnect them.

Error in bold.

Later???

^ *Sigh*

I wonder if it will be more "fair and impartial" than what the Pirate Bay received. I won't advocate TPB's actions, but to have the judge so closely connected with anti-piracy groups seemed rather unfair.

Glad to see some elected officials can't be bought (EU representatives are elected right? I'm unfamiliar with how a Union of countries rule over sovereign states.)

What I would do if that was the case I will tell them that ill make sure that me and my buds actually change provider. I know for a fact they wouldnt wanna lose me from being a paying costumer for a while now. Plus ask them for something in return while i break my contract for inconinience when I asked to be wit my provider and was a month or 2 delay and sue them for it too I know I had to tell the head in there the fuck off to get my connection going back in the days.

are they going to aim at high bandwidth users with lotsa downloads and uploads?? if so, I prefer to be capped then risk being caught and then disconnected.

oh how I miss the old days of internet freedom

Is it a good news, or a bad news... I am confused...

hold up here, the EU tries to stop P2P sharing, now its trying to protect it? wtf?

This is good news - for the consumers, not for the ISPs. Now if only we could get the 2 governments in North American to protect the rights of consumers instead of time and time again disregarding our rights, that would just be great! In exactly 36 days, the Canadian federal government will rule on a HUGE issue to allow the monopolization of broadband service in this country or allow open, free competition. I really wish Tom's would look into this story and get more people interested in this issue. http://www.consumersforinternetcom [...] fault.aspx

sweet. US should pass something like this

LOL they should just build a jail the size of germany cause its about to get filled if they ever decide that simply disconnecting isn't enough.

LOL, yeah they'd have to built a jail the size of Germany if they felt the need to throw everyone in jail who file shares. Whether you're Europe, the UK, the USA, etc..., A LOT of people file share. Trying to stamp it out at the ISP level isn't going to work.

I would like to note this next time someone complains about the EU.

Why is it that in EU elected and even non-elected officials care more about their constituents than in the US? In the US to get real consumer protection we would have to revolt. In the EU, it just happens.

it's what every EU citizen deserves: presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law. it's a good step forward for those wrongly accused. but will these innocent people get compensated for the inconvenience and trouble they are put into by the ISP?

Why would you say that this is good news for users, and bad news for ISPs. If you are a thief and have no moral beliefs, than this is good news. If you are a law abiding citizen, than this has no consequences. Either way you are not going to get banned by your ISP because you don't take what doesn't belong to you. ISPs are probably loving this. They get to keep their best customers... those ppl that download illegaly usually download a lot of stuff (1,000 movies, 100,000 mp3s.....you get the idea) They usually pay for the highest speeds (the most expensive) ISPs don't want to lose those customers. They don't care if you steal from other companies....

In other news the US Gov has voted a law that allows any police or law enforcement agent to shoot someone who is supposedly uploading files on the internet at sight...

For info, from what I have understood of the new French law:
1-Media companies will pay other companies to track IPs of people using P2P network to share pirated content.
2-The list of Ips will then be sent to an independent regulatory commission(Hadopi, same name as the law).
3-Warning will the be sent to people with the IP on the list.
4-If someone IPs is caught a third time, the person is prosecuted in court of law.
5-If the person is found guilty, the ISP is asked to cut the internet connection of this person.
6-the person could be charged for sharing pirated content(money and may be jail) and still have to pay the remaining of its internet subscription until the end of its contract with the ISP (or 1 one year, I can't remember) and can not take another subscription with an other ISP.

Another thing, it seems that to prove that you are not guilty if your IP is on the black list(like someone pirated your wifi), you'll need to have installed(and bought form the commission) a spyware on your computer that analyses what you do with your internet connection.

Things may have been changed a bit these last weeks to force the passing of the law but that is what it seemed to be few weeks ago.

ps: Sorry if I made some English language errors.

I wonder how or if the EU ruling will affect new legislation in the United States. John McCain is now clearly backing the ISPs.

@Honis
Yep elected alright, every member of the European Parliament is elected by the citizens of each country member.

It's not a case of protecting P2P, it's about: "innocent until proven guilty"!!!
Imagine they start to cut peoples connections when a certain amount of downloads is achieved, or whatever criteria they chose to use. I bet you they WILL cut some innocents connections.

Only a court of law can find someone guilty, and no one must suffer consequences before being proven guilty