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| France Refers Skype to Prosecutors | France Refers Skype to Prosecutors |
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| PARIS – French regulators said on Tuesday that they had asked prosecutors to investigate Microsoft’s Skype unit over its failure to register as a telecommunications operator in accordance with local law, raising the question of what constitutes a phone company in the age of Internet-based communications. | PARIS – French regulators said on Tuesday that they had asked prosecutors to investigate Microsoft’s Skype unit over its failure to register as a telecommunications operator in accordance with local law, raising the question of what constitutes a phone company in the age of Internet-based communications. |
| The French regulator, known as Arcep, said in a statement that it had “on several occasions" asked Skype Communications, based in Luxembourg, “to declare itself an electronic communications operator,” and that the company had not acted. | The French regulator, known as Arcep, said in a statement that it had “on several occasions" asked Skype Communications, based in Luxembourg, “to declare itself an electronic communications operator,” and that the company had not acted. |
| A company acting as a telecommunications operator incurs certain obligations, the agency said, notably that “of routing emergency calls and putting in place a means for allowing legal wiretapping.” | A company acting as a telecommunications operator incurs certain obligations, the agency said, notably that “of routing emergency calls and putting in place a means for allowing legal wiretapping.” |
| Skype and other Internet phone services use a system called voice-over-Internet protocol, or VoIP, to enable conversations and video meetings over the Net. The service, which Microsoft acquired from eBay in 2011 for $8.5 billion, claims hundreds of millions of users worldwide. | |
| The French action comes at a tricky time for Microsoft, which has come under pressure recently from digital rights groups over how data about users collected from Skype is shared with advertisers and law enforcement agencies. | The French action comes at a tricky time for Microsoft, which has come under pressure recently from digital rights groups over how data about users collected from Skype is shared with advertisers and law enforcement agencies. |
| Arcep noted that users could make Skype calls from a computer or smartphone. “In effect," the regulator said, “this service constitutes furnishing a telephone service to the public.” | Arcep noted that users could make Skype calls from a computer or smartphone. “In effect," the regulator said, “this service constitutes furnishing a telephone service to the public.” |
| French law does not require that a telecommunications operator obtain administrative authorization, Arcep said, but “only a prior declaration.” Failure to follow the law is a criminal offense, however, and Arcep said it was turning the matter over to Paris prosecutors. | French law does not require that a telecommunications operator obtain administrative authorization, Arcep said, but “only a prior declaration.” Failure to follow the law is a criminal offense, however, and Arcep said it was turning the matter over to Paris prosecutors. |
| Microsoft said in a statement that it had shared with the French authorities its view “that Skype is not a provider of electronic communications services under French law” and that it would “continue to work with Arcep in a constructive fashion.” | Microsoft said in a statement that it had shared with the French authorities its view “that Skype is not a provider of electronic communications services under French law” and that it would “continue to work with Arcep in a constructive fashion.” |
| Robin Koch, a Microsoft spokesman in Brussels, declined to comment further. | Robin Koch, a Microsoft spokesman in Brussels, declined to comment further. |
| The Paris prosecutor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. | The Paris prosecutor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. |
| The regulator’s announcement appeared to be the latest effort by French authorities to rein in companies that have revolutionized global communications. On Jan. 20, a study commissioned by President François Hollande’s government proposed instituting an Internet tax on the collection of personal data. And a French court that month ordered Twitter to identify people posting racist messages. | |
| French media and telecommunications companies have also argued that they were unfairly subsidizing Internet services that used their content and bandwidth without sharing the revenue generated. French officials reacted sympathetically earlier this year when one Internet provider, Free, sought to put pressure on Google to pay for the bandwidth it uses by blocking ads. | |
| But current European Union law does not consider Skype and similar Internet-based services to be telecommunications companies. | |
| The office of Neelie Kroes, the European Union’s commissioner for digital issues, did not immediately respond for a request for comment. | The office of Neelie Kroes, the European Union’s commissioner for digital issues, did not immediately respond for a request for comment. |
| Jean-François Hernandez, a spokesman for Arcep, said the agency began demanding Skype’s compliance in April 2012, but that it had refused to cooperate. | |
| Mr. Hernandez said there were questions at the European level about the regulation of these companies, especially on data privacy and taxation, but that the agency’s dispute with Skype had nothing to do with that. | Mr. Hernandez said there were questions at the European level about the regulation of these companies, especially on data privacy and taxation, but that the agency’s dispute with Skype had nothing to do with that. |
| “It’s about the fact that when you act as a French operator that you have to register as an operator,” he said. | “It’s about the fact that when you act as a French operator that you have to register as an operator,” he said. |
| Mr. Hernandez acknowledged that once a company is registered as a French operator it would be required to declare its French earnings to the tax authorities and be subject to local taxes. | Mr. Hernandez acknowledged that once a company is registered as a French operator it would be required to declare its French earnings to the tax authorities and be subject to local taxes. |
| “But you shouldn’t transform this into a tax story,” he said. “This agency has nothing to do with taxes.” | “But you shouldn’t transform this into a tax story,” he said. “This agency has nothing to do with taxes.” |
| Stéphane Richard, the chief executive of France Télécom, the former state monopoly, has been critical of what he describes as an unfair advantage enjoyed by Skype and similar companies over the established companies that are required to transport rivals’ data without sharing in the revenue. | Stéphane Richard, the chief executive of France Télécom, the former state monopoly, has been critical of what he describes as an unfair advantage enjoyed by Skype and similar companies over the established companies that are required to transport rivals’ data without sharing in the revenue. |
| France Télécom said Tuesday: “We believe that this represents a positive first step toward a more balanced regulatory environment that encompasses the activity of over-the-top players.” | |
| Kevin J. O’Brien contributed reporting. | Kevin J. O’Brien contributed reporting. |