Plague of frogs
By a vote of 314 to 297, the European Parliament voted last Thursday in favour of an amendment that blocked a French attempt to impose draconian measures to protect copyright on the internet.
‘If the aim of the report is to protect creative content, including in the online environment, we should be looking at all options available in the fight against copyright theft,’ huffed Frances Moore, executive VP of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). ‘Instead, this amendment suggested discarding certain options before there is even a proper debate.’
Au contraire, Frances. What happened was that you nobbled the French, but for once they failed to impose their views on the EU.
The French government has bought the IFPI’s ‘three strikes and you’re out’ rule, declaring that those caught repeatedly sharing copyright-protected music lose the right to an internet account. As usual, the French immediately pushed for EU-wide restrictions similar to their own.
What is it about the word ‘right’ that seems so alien to the French bureaucracy?
The French take over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2008, and we may be sure they will continue to spawn regulations. It’s what they do.
