Guilty! That's What The NZ Government Thinks Of You [Updated]

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Section 92a of the Copyright Act defaults to a world view of GUILTY before proven innocent. That is just plain wrong!

As Colin stated on National Radio (Weightless economy? Yeah, right. )
... the provision in the act that says that Internet Service Providers have to cut off your Internet access if you are accused – that’s accused, not convicted – of unlawfully infringing someone’s copyright.

And who is likely to accuse you (YOU!) - big media companies.
They will use this to 'drift net' the ISPs and a whole stack of innocent people will get caught up.

And if you think this is all happening in a democratic manner read Colin's write-up of a meeting he and others had with David Cunliffe and Judith Tizard, who is Associate Minister of Commerce and the responsible minster for copyright - Ministers: why we changed the Copyright Act

So what can you do?
  1. Get educated
  2. Get vocal, such as these fine folks:


[Updated] Added Webstock / KnowIT links
[Updated] Added Mauricio / Brenda's links

Comments

  1. AnonymousSaturday, October 11, 2008 12:47:00 pm

    Not big media companies but... their agents, like NZ FACT, who for some reason are permitted to initiate police and customs raid AND take part in them, even though they're private entities and not official ones.

    What's ironic here is that I, a bona fide copyright holder as a journalist and writer, couldn't hope to wield the same power. Some of the big media companies in question take my work without paying royalties. If I complain about that, do you think their ISPs would cut off their big media company clients?

    Not a chance in hell.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mike RiversdaleSunday, October 12, 2008 8:13:00 pm

    Great clarification conversation happening over at Brenda's post - http://coffee.geek.nz/guiltytillproveninnocentnewzealandcopyrightact

    Liked this from Nat which may be a trap I have/am falling into:
    " ... I'm not sure you're representing the law quite accurately. Once the ISP receives a copyright infringement notice signed by the copyright holder or their agent (that's the fakeable part), they must "as soon as reasonably possible" prevent access to the material or delete it altogether. This doesn't have to be the same as disconnecting a user completely."

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mike RiversdaleFriday, October 17, 2008 2:00:00 pm

    Links from 'GerryAttrick' :-)
    http://forums.overclockers.co.nz/showthread.php?t=29533&page=2

    ReplyDelete

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