TelstraClear clobbers NZ copyright law

Stuart Corner
Thursday, 12 March 2009 01:12

IT Industry - Market

"The problems with the Code have come to a head because the Government made the future of Section 92A dependent on agreement between a limited group of rights holders and a small number of ISPs..[but] Section 92A applies to any business that provides Internet services to its staff or hosts a website, and can be triggered by any rights holder or claimed rights holder with a genuine complaint or a malicious axe to grind," Davidson said.

The same sentiments were expressed by TUANZ executive director, Ernie Newman, who said: "The position they [TelstraClear] have taken is very principled. It genuinely reflects concern that any Code adopted by the TCF could effectively close off options for the industry's customers who are owners of business networks, and our members will welcome that concern...The government should now step back into the debate, either by revising Section 92a, or by showing a lead towards a process with which all parties can live - rights holders, ISPs, business end users and individuals."

France following the same flawed route
France is heading down the same track as New Zealand in the way I it is trying to apply copyright law to the online world, and meeting the same opposition. According to a Reuters report today a new bill proposes disconnecting users from the Internet for two months to a year after three warnings about illegal downloads of copyright material without them having been found guilty through full legal process. Consumer groups say it would be all too easy for hackers to use other computers' IP addresses, and campaign group UFC-Que Choisir claims that the bill violates the principle of presumption of innocence.