The Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill, which allows for large files and six month Internet suspensions, has already passed its first reading in the New Zealand Parliament. However, according to copyright advocates, it doesn't go far enough. Instead of simply disconnecting repeat infringers, they are calling for a heavier punishment that would take people's right to Internet access away.
One of the most radical proposals is that if the current draft is insufficient to deter serial infringers from downloading music and movies without consent from copyright holders, instead of simply suspending the account of infringers, it was suggested taking offenders’ right to Internet access away entirely.
“This would remove uncertainty about how infringement notices are issued, clarifying whether copyright owners or ISP’s are responsible for dealing with issues where infringement notices are challenged, and removing restrictions on the Copyright Tribunal’s ability to award costs.”
However, it looks like not all the copyrights sustainers see in the measure the best way to solve the problem. “A disconnection penalty is a response way out of line with the harm caused by infringing file sharing. People are using the Internet for a huge range of important economic and social tasks. Cutting off their accounts is akin to banning someone from using the postal system because they were caught posting copied music CDs”.
Source: P2POn
vBulletin Message