On Friday the Computer & Communications Industry Association's Executive Vice President Erika Mann
wrote
the French copyright enforcement authority, HADOPI, expressing concern
about the unintended consequences of a software specification related
to the country’s so-called “3 Strikes” law.
HADOPI has asked
stakeholders to comment by Oct. 30 on proposed technical
characteristics of software that users could be directed toward when
accused of infringement. The specification-compliant software would
apparently monitor Internet connections, identify infringers, and
possibly filter a user's Internet content.
Mann, who heads CCIA’s Brussels office, observed that the free market already provided users a wide selection of security software applications. She noted that directing users to install software under the threat of legal penalties would be a bad precedent to set – and one that would be welcome by repressive governments.
Mann added that “in CCIA’s experience, technology mandates are invariably poorly tailored, ad have unintended consequences.”
The controversial HADOPI measure (the law and agency bear the same name) seeks to cut off Internet access to those accused of sharing copyrighted material illegally. When
HADOPI gets a complaint from a rightsholder, it sends a letter to the Internet user advising him or her to install software to secure their Internet connection – presumably from being hijacked by others who would use their Internet access to transmit material illegally.
