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"France's Constitutional Council has validated the so-called 'three strikes' law, clearing the way for an accelerated judicial process that will cut off the access of Internet users accused three times of downloading copyright content without authorization. A group of opposition deputies had challenged the law, passed by the National Assembly last month, on constitutional grounds, but the Council found all but one clause of the law constitutional. However, it threw out a clause that gave copyright holders the possibility to use the fast-track court hearings to claim damages for copyright infringement. With that clause ruled as unconstitutional, copyright holders seeking damages will have to bring a separate legal action, with all the costs that that entails. Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2009/10/23/urnidgns852573C40069388000257658003B3FB0.DTL#ixzz0UpsayfSI http://j.mp/gWT0t
