France's Constitutional Council has scuttled (for now?) the country's attempt to cut off Internet connections for those engaged in file sharing.

Details here.

A few notable quotes:

The council said the proposal was contrary to French constitutional principles, like the presumption of innocence and freedom of speech. The latter right "implies today, considering the development of the Internet, and its importance for the participation in democratic life and the expression of ideas and opinions, the online public's freedom to access these communication services," the council said.

Mark Mulligan, an analyst at Forrester Research, said: "What this highlights is the danger of using legislation and the courts to further your business aims. You become a victim of the whole process."

it wasn't a total smackdown for the government, as the constitutional court did affirm that after three warnings, a plaintiff could file a motion with a local court:

newspaper article in french

as well, the law's supporters have signaled their desire to go down this road and start sending out warning letters this autumn:

another newspaper article in french

which begs the question, are the french divisions of the labels dumb enough to also sue their fans? you wouldn't think so, but there are quite a few luddite author's guilds among the bill's supporters, so.................