Brussels, 19/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - Last week, the French parliament finally passed the “Création et Internet” bill (also known as the Hadopi Law, by 188 votes to 14. The text will mean that a high-level authority for the broadcast of works and protection of internet rights (“Hadopi”, according to its French acronym) will impose sanctions on illegal downloading from the internet by suspending internet access for two months following two warnings (the so called “graduated riposte” procedure). When asked after the vote, European Information Society and Media Commissioner Vivia,e Reding said she could not see anything illegal in the text. “What I don't like in political terms is not always illegal,” she said through spokesmen Martin Selmayr. The French law is not consistent with Amendment 138 of the Trautmann report which the European Parliament reintroduced two weeks ago at the expense of the compromise amendment negotiated with the Council, and thereby delaying approval of the new European telecoms legislation (see EUROPE 9896). The first version of amendment 138 (Bono amendment) says clearly that no restriction may be imposed on the rights and freedoms of internet end users without the prior decision of judicial authorities, requiring member states to have a judge's order when they want the sanction of suspension of internet access. It will be for the new European Parliament and the Council of Ministers to find a new compromise that will satisfy both the member states and the majority of MEPs if the Council does not manage to find political agreement at the Telecoms Council on 12 June. (I.L./transl.rt)