[JURIST] Some forms of online piracy in France are on the rise in spite of the recently passed anti-piracy law [legislative materials, in French; JURIST news archive], according to a March study [text, PDF; in French] conducted by the Marsouin Unit [official website, in French] at the University of Rennes [official website]. While 15 percent of individuals using Peer-to-Peer networking have stopped using such sites, Internet piracy has increased by 3 percent [Ars Technica report] since the law was passed, the study says. Much of the increase may attributable to the use of streaming technology and downloading sites not covered by the law. The new law has yet to take effect.

Online piracy has assumed increasing importance in the eyes of legislators across Europe, as many countries, including the UK, consider legislation [BBC report] that reflects the law enacted in France. The French bill was approved by the Constitutional Court in October after being given final approval by the French Parliament [JURIST reports] the previous month. Under the so-called "three strikes" law, the French government could send notices to Internet service providers to terminate an individual's Internet access for up to one year after a third violation of intellectual property laws for downloading or sharing movies and music. One of the key reasons this version of the law was upheld by the court, after it struck down an earlier version [JURIST report], is the requirement of judicial review prior to denial of Internet service.