But opposition Socialist MPs are not giving up their increasingly futile fight against the law and have vowed to appeal it, according to Torrentfreak.com. French free speech pressure group Reporters San Frontiere says sums up their argument by arguing the law violates accused file-sharers’ right to a completely fair trial because evidence of alleged offences won’t be presented in court. But the legislation only needs president Sarkozy’s signature for it to become law…

SEE ALSO: Hadopi Law Delayed Again As French MPs Stay Away

The law—dubbed “Hadopi” in France after the state agency that will enforce the rules—allows the state to warn, warn again and then disconnect illegal file-sharers’ internet connections for up to a year, subject to a court ruling. It was in fact passed by the Assembly in May but the country’s Constitutional Court blocked that version as it didn’t give suspected pirates a fair trial before disconnection. Now, a judge will make disconnection decisions based on evidence from the Hadopi agency.

This is one of the toughest anti-piracy laws in the world: as well as disconnection, repeat offenders can face fines of up to €3,000 (£2,713) and/or imprisonment; in extreme cases, people can be charged with “forgery”, a crime that comes with a potential €300,000 (£271,361) fine and up to three years in jail. Hadopi expects to send out 50,000 suspension warnings a year. Compare that with the European Commission’s latest anti-piracy policy of setting up international discussion groups on IP “best practice” instead of opting for EU-wide legislation.