After years of controversy, millions spent, and nothing to show for it, the French government has backtracked on HADOPI, the “three strikes” law that made it possible for entertainment companies to demand the termination of Internet accounts implicated in illegal downloading accusations. People whose routers are said to have been used for piracy may still face fines — even if they can prove they didn’t personally download anything illegally — but no one will lose their Internet connection over piracy accusations in France: “the panel concluded that the three strikes mechanism had failed to benefit authorized services as promised.”