France outlaws internet wine promotion?

Can anyone believe what is happening in France these days? Is there more substance to this, or is the article just speculative? No one can doubt that prohibitionism seems to be making greater inroads there than perhaps ever before.

Link to article in Decanter.com

I was pretty amazed by this news too...

Mind you, the French government has never like the Internet very much because it escapes their control...

This is a ridiculous ruling...
What's to prevent the Web site from being hosted in Belgium, Spain, or the Solomon Islands?

Best regards,
Alex R.

Have you read or heard anything about this in the French media, Alex? I haven't. Perhaps in next month's RVF.

What I don't understand here is how the court can use the Loi Evin to FORBID publicity of alcoholic drink on the net from a French site. Compel the use of the "health warning" as in magazines, perhaps. Would that be a great hardship for a firm like Heineken? Admittedly, if applied to wine blog sites, it would be awkward; imagine writing in the "health warning " after each post.