France's parliament rejected Hadopi (la Haute Autorité pour la diffusion des œuvres et la protection des droits sur internet) bill on Thursday (09.04.2009) with the ruling UMP party failure (21-15) to approve the law.

The law proposed two warnings and then, after a third violation, disconnection from the Internet for up to a year of Internet users caught illegally downloading files (music or films).

The bill was passed by both houses, and all that remained was for them each to ratify the final text, but “15 Socialists were hanging about in the hallway, charging in at the last minute to cast their votes and defeat the law”.

The music and movie industries push governments and internet service providers to terminate or suspend service of peer-to-peer file sharers since it hurt the revenues of artists and production companies, but the Failure came after similar rejections in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Germany and even the European Parliament.

In their part, Sarkozy said he was determined to see the law passed and accused the opposition of parliamentary maneuvering.

The Culture Minister plans to bring the bill back on April 27.

The International Federation for the Phonographic Industry and the worldwide counterpart to the RIAA, said it would continue lobbying for the French three-strikes law.