On June 10 we reported that the French constitutional court rejected the eponymous HADOPI bill which gave a bureau in France’s Ministry of Culture the power to disconnect French internet users after three piracy infractions. Not content to let the bill die, the Sarkozy administration has rewritten the bill to give courts the final say in matters of piracy.

The constitutional court ruled against the bill in June as it gave judicial powers to a legislative body, infringed on France’s interpretation of free speech and established a presumption of guilt that forced false offenders to prove they were innocent. Under the new version of the bill, the HADOPI group will still monitor for infractions, but the bureau will pass its findings to the court rather than acting on them.

With the fate of French netizens in the hands of the court, all involved parties appear to be operating with respect towards the French constitution. Not all are content with the affairs in L’hexagone, however, as many digital civil rights groups maintain that the newest iteration of the bill makes a mockery of the court by reducing it to a proverbial rubber stamp.

We will keep you informed of any developments that arise in the ongoing saga of France’s three strikes laws.