In New Zealand on April 14, the House of Representatives passed the Copyright Infringement Act, a move that saw many MPs instantly ridiculed on sites such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.It became immediately apparent that many MPs had little if any understanding of the issues involved in the new law, which was aimed at stamping out internet piracy and illegal file-sharing.
One MP likened the internet to the evil, humanity-ending, self-aware Skynet from the Terminator movies. Another made a bumbling speech about the perils of file-sharing while it was later revealed she had tweeted her thanks for a CD of Korean pop music a friend had ''made'' for her. The online public was quick to publicise and parody the MPs who had lauded the Act. Many felt the National-led government had rushed it through under urgency to prevent it being seriously debated.
To summarise New Zealand's new law, the Act establishes a ''three strikes and you're out'' policy for people who persistently shared files illegally. Copyright holders can inform internet service providers - if someone is sharing their material illegally.
The ISP can then send a warning letter to the infringer, which, after three warnings, can lead to a claim to the Copyright Tribunal, and that in turn can result of a fine of up to $15,000 for the account holder. The Act also allows for bigger fines to come into play if it is not seen to be working within two years, and account suspension to be ordered by the courts.
None of these moves is original. Similar laws have been proposed in Britain and called for in Australia, and the protests against them have been equally loud. Many view such laws as draconian, potentially impinging on what they perceive as a basic right of 21st-century life access to the internet. (You may remember Finland passing a law last year making such access a legal right of everyone in the country.)
Others argue that the laws will do nothing to discourage file-sharing; those committed to it will quickly work out ways to avoid detection, and only very minor infringements will be caught. And some think the whole approach is wrong: rather than trying to punish people for piracy, they argue, the creative industries should simply make the alternatives more reliable, better value and easier to get hold of.
Daniel Reviewed by Daniel on . File-sharing needs fair limits In New Zealand on April 14, the House of Representatives passed the Copyright Infringement Act, a move that saw many MPs instantly ridiculed on sites such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.It became immediately apparent that many MPs had little if any understanding of the issues involved in the new law, which was aimed at stamping out internet piracy and illegal file-sharing. One MP likened the internet to the evil, humanity-ending, self-aware Skynet from the Terminator movies. Another Rating: 5