Internet law must be passed urgently
UMP spokesman says France must show EU that a gradual warning system can work against illegal downloaders.
A law to allow telecoms companies to threaten and cut off internet users who illegally download films and music must be passed urgently, a UMP spokesman has said.
Frédéric Lefebvre, who speaks for the governing party, said it must move quickly after a vote by the European Parliament threatened to make the centre piece of the planned Internet et création law illegal.
MEPs voted earlier this week that financial penalties and cutting the connection of internet users could only be carried out after judicial proceedings or in case of national security.
The Internet et création would allow companies to send warning letters to the owners of internet connections suspected of downloading illegal material.
Critics say the plans in France say they would not work for internet accounts with multiple users and have no fail safes against hackers who could hijack IP addresses which are used to identify internet users online.
The EU plans will next go to the Council of Ministers which, directed by Nicolas Sarkozy as France currently hold the presidency, is likely to return them back to parliament for a second reading in January.
Mr Lefebvre said France needed to demonstrate that its approach to internet piracy was effective before MEPs could overrule it.
"We want this law passed quickly to show to Europe that a gradual warning system can work. It was a mistake to have not voted it in earlier," he said.
Voting on the law, which had been due for discussion earlier this year, has been postponed until 2009 due to constraints on the parliamentary timetable.
