Copyright reform

The New Zealand Government has come up with a proposal to deal with the vexed issue of illicit peer-to-peer filesharing. The Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill will repeal Section 92a of the Copyright Act 1994. It sets out a fairer regime that is focused on public education via notices and tests allegations of infringement through a Tribunal process.

InternetNZ remains concerned however that suspension of peoples’ Internet accounts remains a final penalty, and continues to argue that this is a disproportionate response to digital copyright infringement.

InternetNZ position 

Enforcement of copyright needs to be a balance between users’ rights and the rights of content creators.

A notice and notice system in New Zealand is InternetNZ’s preferred response to the issue of illicit peer-to-peer filesharing.

Notices have been shown to reduce infringement. A system that sends notices to alleged infringers is a low cost, clean response to illicit peer-to-peer file sharing.

InternetNZ activity (highlights)

In December 2010 a group of interested parties, including InternetNZ, wrote to Minister of Commerce Simon Power to draw his attention to a number of suggested improvements to the Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill. The letter and briefing paper are available above.  

InternetNZ held copyright seminars in May 2010 to discuss aspects of the Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill.

In August 2009, InternetNZ made a submission on the Ministry of Economic Development's Section 92a Policy Proposal Document. 

In 2008, InternetNZ participated on a Telecommunications Carriers’ Forum (TCF) Working Party, which worked on a termination policy so that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) could comply with Section 92A.

InternetNZ lodged a submission on the Copyright Amendment Bill in March 2007 and held two workshops that year to discuss matters relating to the Copyright Amendment Bill.