France to legalise P2P file-sharing?

French Parliament approves proposal

France could become the first country to pass a law broadly permitting free downloads of copyright content from the internet for private use.

In a move that could thwart the entertainment industry’s attempts to seek legal sanctions for copyright violations, French Parliament members voted 30 to 28 on Wednesday night to accept an amendment proposing such a move.

Attached to a broader copyright law proposal, the amendment – roughly translated – reads: “Authors cannot forbid the reproductions of works that are made on any format from an online communication service when they are intended to be used privately and when they do not imply commercial means directly or indirectly.”

In short, that language could “open the way to the legalization of peer-to-peer” downloading of copyright music and movies in the nation of about 8 million internet users, Jean-Baptiste Soufron, a legal counsel with the Association of Audionauts told silicon.com sister site CNET News.com. The French advocacy organization has represented approximately 100 clients accused of sharing files illegally.

Full story: silicon.com