Australia's government wants to know if its current anti-piracy laws are effective enough

News
By Sharmishta Sarkar
published

Should repeat offenders be made to walk the plank?

Australia's current stance on internet piracy harkens back to 2015 when the government passed the Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill. With that backing, the Federal Court ordered a huge number of pirate sites to be blocked, including the likes of The Pirate Bay, in December 2016.

Since then, online copyright infringement has been reduced, the government has announced, but there are plenty more injunction applications pending in the court.

Before those hearings get underway, the Australian Government is keen to determine if the current anti-piracy mechanism is strong enough or not. The Department of Communications and the Arts is now looking for feedback on the efficacy of the site-blocking laws.

Reeling it in

On the current state of affairs, a consultation paper entitled Review of Copyright Online Infringement Amendment says, “Case law and survey data suggests the Online Infringement Amendment has enabled copyright owners to work with [internet service providers] to reduce large-scale online copyright infringement. So far, it appears that copyright owners and [ISPs] find the current arrangement acceptable, clear and effective.”

The government is open to suggestions from the public, with the paper adding, “The Department of Communications and the Arts is seeking views from stakeholders on the questions put forward in this paper. The Department welcomes single, consolidated submissions from organizations or parties, capturing all views on the Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Act 2015 (Online Infringement Amendment).”

Anyone interested in submitting to the consultation can do so until 5pm AEST on March 16, 2018, via the Department of Communications’ website.

Sharmishta Sarkar
Sharmishta Sarkar
Managing Editor (APAC)

Sharmishta is TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor and loves all things photography, something she discovered while chasing monkeys in the wilds of India (she studied to be a primatologist but has since left monkey business behind). While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, she's also an avid reader and has become a passionate proponent of ereaders, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about the convenience of these underrated devices. When she's not testing camera kits or the latest in e-paper tablets, she's discovering the joys and foibles of smart home gizmos. She's also the Australian Managing Editor of Digital Camera World and, if that wasn't enough, she contributes to T3 and Tom's Guide, while also working on two of Future's photography print magazines Down Under.