SYDNEY: Australian Attorney-General George Brandis and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull have confirmed that legislation that will see copyright-infringing websites such as The Pirate Bay blocked by Australian ISPs will be introduced into parliament next week, but will not be passed before the next Budget.
A bill is set to be introduced to the Senate next week that could be the nail in the coffin for online piracy but its detractors say it curbs internet freedom.
The Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill will be introduced to the parliament next week, and is expected to be referred to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for review,” the spokesperson said.
The bill will force ISPs to block overseas sites that allow people to share copyrighted material, at the request of a judge
A spokesman for Senator Brandis’ office said the bill will be presented to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for review next week.
If the bill is to eventually pass, the expected outcome would see content rights holders moving to lodge court orders to have all known piracy sites blocked in Australia.
Rights holders can take direct action against Australian based websites, so the legislation could effectively see a blanket removal of torrent sharing sites across Australian internet providers.
The text of the bill has not yet been released and even ISPs have been kept in the dark.
John Stanton, CEO of the Communications Alliance, who worked on behalf of major ISPs to develop the three strikes program said he is “disappointed” that his group hadn’t been consulted.
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Attorney General Senator George Brandis have
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Attorney General Senator George Brandis have been leading the charge on the piracy crackdown. Source: News Corp Australia
The site-blocking scheme has been likened to online censorship by critics including consumer advocate group Choice and Pirate Party Australia, who argue that it will set a dangerous precedent.
Pirate Party Deputy President Simon Frew said the legislation “will mean we are subjected to a censorship regimen. The Government has opted for a long and pointless game of whack-a-mole — as soon as a site is blocked it will pop up in several new places and copyright infringement will continue.”
