Paris - French president Nicolas Sarkozy has backed a proposal that would punish those who repeatedly use peer-to-peer networks to trade copyrighted media by terminating their Internet connections, according to published reports.

Major French Internet service providers are also supporting the plan, whereby they would cooperate with an independent government body and monitor their own networks for peer-to-peer traffic -- providing several warnings before terminating a user's account.

The proposal also calls for French record labels to offer their music in a DRM-free digital format, while DVDs would be released six months after a film's theatrical premiere, bumped up from 7.5 months.

The recording industry was quick to praise the approach.

"This is the single most important initiative to help win the war on online piracy that we have seen so far," said John Kennedy, chairman and CEO of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).

"By requiring ISPs to play a role in the fight against piracy, President Sarkozy has set an example to others of how to ensure that the creative industries remain strong in difficult markets so that they can remain major economic and cultural contributors to society."

Related Links:
http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_news/20071123.html

http://snipurl.com/1u87n (Ars Technica)

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117976472.html