Three strikes anti-piracy budget "too expensive to justify," says French minister...

It was President Nicolas Sarkozy’s baby, a mechanism through which he could prove that punishing file-sharers is the way to get them back into music and movie stores and away from unauthorized sites. But today all is not well with Hadopi.

France’s new Culture Minister Aurélie Filippetti seems particularly unimpressed with the so-called “three strikes” mechanism, indicating clearly this week that her government would not be giving Hadopi the level of support it enjoyed under the former president.

In comments made to Nouvel Observateur, Minister Filippetti said in difficult times cuts have to made, and it appears that spending money on Hadopi is low down the country’s list of priorities.

“In financial terms, 12 million euros a year and 60 officers, it’s an expensive way to send a million e-mails,” the Minister said. “As part of budgetary efforts, I will ask that funding of Hadopi is greatly reduced.” Full story...

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