European Union lawmakers failed to overcome the last remaining obstacle to a broad reform of the E.U.'s telecommunications laws late Tuesday, when a committee of the European Parliament rejected a compromise on the issue of how to deal with Internet piracy.

While national governments including those in France and the U.K., two of the largest of the E.U.'s 27 members, push for greater powers to crack down on copyright abuse by illegal file sharers, the industry committee of the European Parliament stood by an earlier pledge to protect citizens from what it views as over-zealous policing of the internet.

Read full story: PC World

Related topics: Access Providers, Law, P2P, Policy & Regulation, Telecom