Sarkozy to hold ‘e-G8’ before G8

Internet heavyweights are gathering in Paris for a two-day technology forum hosted by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, a report said.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Google's Eric Schmidt and News Corp's Rupert Murdoch are among those invited by Sarkozy to the forum which is designed to help him make his mark on Internet regulations.

The conference has been thrown into the spotlight in Britain this week as Twitter users made a mockery of injunctions obtained by the rich and famous to choke scandals, by publishing names and details.

Not all those on Sarkozy's guest list accepted the invitation as he was known for passing a law that calls for copyright pirates to be cut off from the Internet.

Cory Doctorow, a Canadian blogger, author and advocate of copyright liberalization, said he had refused Sarkozy's invitation to attend the “e-G8”.

Some of the tech heavyweights will present the conclusions of the forum to the world leaders attending the G8 meeting on May 27-28 in the French seaside resort of Deauville.