The French Council of State decided last week that record companies can automatically track P2P users that share more than 50 files within 24 hours and keep their records for further legal proceedings.

The decision comes as a blow to the French National Commission for Data protection and the Liberties who ruled in the fall of 2005 that automatic surveillance of P2P networks violates local privacy laws.

French file sharers aren't too happy with the decision either. Some folks have now started a civil disobedience protest called "51 fichiers" (51 files) against the ruling. The website 51fichiers.org explains:

"51fichiers.org calls any France internet user who wants to protest against this decision to share at least 51 files that are freely distributable (e.g.: published under a Creative Commons license, or that are public domain) and keep them on the P2P system until 'something happens'."

Guess France-based P2P internet label Jamendo might see a whole bunch of new users soon ...

Source: P2P Blog