Four strikes law returns to Belgium

By EDRi · March 9, 2011

This article is also available in:
Deutsch: [Belgien: Four-Strikes kommen zurück | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.5_Four_Strikes_Gesetz_in_Belgien]

After the proposition of a Belgian version of the French three
strikes law was left aside due to the withdrawal from the political life of
the deputy that proposed it in 2010, a new proposal was tabled on 27 January
2011 by five liberal deputies.

The legislation proposed last year was a stronger version than the French
Hadopi law meaning that, in addition, the Belgium draft was introducing the
obligation for ISPs to block Internet access to the sites hosting content
considered as “pirated”.

Another difference from the French law is that the graduate response would
take four stages instead of three: a first warning sent by e-mail and
subsequently, in case of repeated offences, an administrative fine, a
reference to the court which could lead to a penalty ranging from a
financial fine to the limitation of the infringer’s access to the Internet
connection and, finally, the doubling of the fine and the cutting of the
Internet connection.

As shown by a comparison made by NURPA (the Net Users’ Rights Protection
Association), the new proposal is practically identical to the one tabled in
2010.

Together with Hadopi Mayonnaise group, NURPA decided to launch “a graduate
response system against this proposition” starting with the creation of an
eight-page brochure presenting the main arguments against the proposed law.
The brochure is to be presented to the Assembly of the Belgium deputies and
senators so as to provide them with a different point of view and will also
be disseminated on social networks and web sites.

Further on, the two groups will provide a comprehensive analysis of the
draft law and the dangers it poses for fundamental rights. Meetings and
conferences will also be organised to facilitate a dialogue with all those
interested in the matter.

The Belgium Hadopi returns to surface, the graduate counter-response is
getting organised (only in French, 3.03.2011)

À lire sur Numerama : L’Hadopi belge refait surface, la contre-riposte graduée s’organise

Graduate response against a Belgium type HADOPI (only in French, 3.03.2011)
http://nurpa.be/actualites/2011/03/riposte-graduee-contre-une-HADOPI-a-la-belge.html

Underlining the differences between the versions of 18 March 2010 and of 27
January 2011 of the graduate response of MR (Reforming Movement) (only in
French)
http://nurpa.be/resources/files/NURPA_riposte-graduee-diff_03-2010_01-2011.html

EDRi-gram: Four strikes in the Belgium draft copy of the French Hadopi law
(24.03.2010)
http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number8.6/four-strikes-belgium