French pirates 'dodge' tough laws

Some forms of piracy are on the rise in France despite the passing of a tough anti-piracy law, suggests a study. In late 2009, France adopted a "three-strikes law" which means persistent pirates can be thrown offline.

A small-scale study shows that some French people are changing their habits and getting pirated music and movies from sources not covered by the law. Overall, found the study, illegal behavior has increased by 3% since the law was passed. The anti-piracy legislation was passed in October 2009 and means that those suspected of sharing pirated material online, such as movies and music, will be warned to stop or face action. Persistent pirates who ignore the warnings will be cut off for up to a year if a panel of judges backs a call for disconnection. Alternatively, pirates can be fined or given a prison sentence.