Rights group eyes ISP anti-piracy roundtable

By Ry Crozier on Mar 3, 2011 11:49 AM
Filed under Networking

Seeks resumption of talks on industry code.

Rights holders have wasted no time seeking an audience with internet service providers in the wake of the iiTrial appeal judgment, calling for a "roundtable" to deal with online piracy just a day after AFACT's appeal in a case against iiNet was rejected in the Federal Court.

In a letter dated 25 February, Music Industry Piracy Investigations (MIPI) general manager Sabiene Heindl sought "an industry led solution in the form of a code agreed between content rights holders (and their representatives) and ISPs".

"The Australian Content Industry Group has asked the Government to facilitate an industry roundtable that would bring together representatives of the key content industries and internet service providers to start the process of drawing up an industry code of conduct to address the ongoing issue of copyright theft online," Heindl wrote [pdf].

"This code would not only deal with illegal fire-sharing, but contemplate other forms of infringement on the internet (either presently or in the future)".

It would not be the first time a code had been called for or considered by the Government.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy had called for talks on an industry code to resume after the original judgment in the iiNet case in February last year; a call that was rejected by the internet industry.

Last week's Full Bench decision in the Federal Court was less comprehensively in the ISP industry's favour than the outcome of the original case.

Neither side in the case – iiNet or the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft – has yet revealed whether they will seek leave to appeal to the High Court.

ACIG "flexible"

Heindl revealed the ISP roundtable plan in a submission to a House of Representatives Committee inquiry into the "role and potential" of the National Broadband Network.

She said that rights holders, under the guise of the Australian Content Industry Group (ACIG), remained "flexible on all possible options that could achieve the primary objective of securing a substantial reduction in copyright theft on the internet, thus enabling legitimate content on the NBN to thrive."

ACIG members included MIPI, Microsoft, the Business Software Alliance, Copyright Agency Limited and the Australian Recording Industry Association.

Rights group eyes ISP anti-piracy roundtable

7 comments in this discussion

"@btone: I can't wait until Gummow and 'orrible 'eydon set their teeth into this one... High Court judgements always add something good to the fray I find =)"

By Bourkie

Tags

acig, microsoft, mipi, cal, copyright, piracy, online, internet, iinet, afact, roundtable, code, industry, iitrial

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Comments: 7

Bourkie Mar 3, 2011 1:23 PM	Most likely iiNet will appeal to the High Court to have the original judgement reinstated =)
RB Mar 3, 2011 3:28 PM	"...thus enabling legitimate content on the NBN to thrive." Problem with that is that there is no legitimate content. Australian consumers cannot purchase new release movies online even if they want to. Even further on this, online movie content needs to be affordable and properly priced. Why is it that my IPTV box charges me more for a movie than the local DVD rental store? Surely the DVD rental store has higher overheads than an online service! AND, why does the DVD rental store have newer content than the online services? Even to the point that the IPTV service is charging "new release" pricing for movies that the DVD rental store has at "weekly" pricing. I am absolutely convinced that the Internet is a huge opportunity for the movie industry but there is not fairly-priced, online content available.
btone Mar 3, 2011 4:32 PM	@ Bourkie: At least Cowdrey demonstrated a certain amount of comprehension of the concept of "guilty and disconnected without proof is problematic" as opposed to the latter three 'learned' heads who apparently can see no reason why ACMAs bots canot be accepted as irrefutable evidence of an individuals guilt. Hopefully if this goes further the judges will be vetted to see if they can switch a computer on...
Tailgator Mar 3, 2011 5:48 PM	It's amazing the amount of spin that AFACT has been putting out regarding their appeal. Lost the original case - too bad Lost the appeal - too bad (or worse) But add in heaps of spin, work at making a negative look like a positive, and who knows .... The basic foundation of AFACT's case rests on the presumption that unsubstantiated notification from AFACT or one it's agents is sufficient grounds to enforce a third party to impose penalties on a customer. Is that acceptable ?? AFACT is desperately trying to get some form of validity for the basic premise of it's case. Once it does that, then it's in like a rat up a drain pipe. But it has to cross that first hurdle and it will mount any campaign required to achieve it. But .... until AFACT's 'evidence' is recognized by a court of law, until such time as the legal ramifications and liabilities of third party actions are resolved, and until such time as this is also recognized by legal precedence, then they are just p*ssing in wind. Expect to hear a lot spin folks.
anonymous Mar 3, 2011 6:00 PM	AFALLACY want to resume talks? That's nice, after what seemed to be a million dollar fishing expedition through the courts. It's to be hoped that Michael Malone remembers the old proverb - that whoever sups with the devil needs to use a very long spoon.
HubertCumberdale Mar 3, 2011 6:17 PM	ISPs should not indulge these cretins. As far as I'm concerned there is nothing to talk about, if you feel your copyright has been violated then by all means follow the right protocols to get compensated. Resorting to slander will get you nowhere AFACT
Bourkie Mar 3, 2011 9:30 PM	@btone: I can't wait until Gummow and 'orrible 'eydon set their teeth into this one... High Court judgements always add something good to the fray I find =)