The High Authority for the Distribution of Works and the Protection of Rights on the Internet (Hadopi) recently alerted the fire service via its federation. Forty fire-fighters’ associations – which are legally independent of the public service – are reportedly facing legal proceedings following several instances of illegal downloading detected via their internet service providers.
France has 7,000 fire brigade support associations. Many pay for internet access, which they then make available to their members, without necessarily restricting its use, due to a lack of technical and legal knowledge.
As with any subscriber, after three warnings have gone unheeded, the matter may be referred to the courts on the grounds of gross negligence, which penalises an internet subscriber who has failed to prevent their connection from being used for infringing purposes, despite warnings sent by Hadopi. As a legal entity, a social club would then face a maximum fine of €7,500.