The latest draft lightens the penalties for those caught pirating music or movies online. But it also strengthens legal protection for anti-copy technologies known as DRMs, shielding them from challenges under French laws that grant consumers the right to make copies of music and film for private use.
Consumer groups have cheered the legalized file-sharing measures, while the music industry is leading a backlash.
Web Site Courts Fans Looking to Swap CDs
The Web site, lala.com, allows members to list which CDs they wish to put up for trade and then use a search engine to browse for album titles being offered by other members.