France to Discuss File Sharing Law

An inquiry into the French file sharing law that was passed late last year making peer-to-peer networks legal will be discussed at a hearing held by the Commission for Cultural Affairs and Commission for Economic Affairs. France's Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres will appear at the hearing.

The law would legalize the sharing of music and films as long as a flat fee of several euros per month is paid. Even with the promise of some compensation for file swappers' activities, the record industry says such a plan would undo years of work to combat piracy.

The proposal has received the backing of consumer groups in France, but French entertainment companies like Vivendi Universal have come out in strong opposition to the law. The industry has even called on French pop stars to speak out against the plan publicly.

The back and forth between supporters and detractors of the law began in December when the French government proposed new sanctions of 300,000 euros and a three-year jail term for those convicted of file sharing.

Parliament fired back shortly thereafter, adding amendments to legalize file sharing as long as users paid a fee to the French government. However, legal analysts say that even if the law is eventually passed, it could violate European Union regulations on copyright and may be invalid anyway.

Opponents of the law say that a flat-rate fee would also undercut the burgeoning legal digital music business in France, and would not generate enough revenue to compensate the record companies and their artists.