This cartoon is NOT copyright by Dylan Horrocks '09
The proposed replacement to Section 92A of the Copyright Amendment Act is an Internet Termination Law that harms many people for the actions of one. We don’t cut off a family's postal service if one person uses it to break the law. We don’t cut off phones or electricity because someone plays music too loud. How can it be OK to cut off the internet? The internet is now an essential utility for NZ homes and businesses.
This page is about the current rewrite of Section 92A. Click here to read about the previous section 92A law (2008 to early 2009).
A recent UK government report that found that 73% of UK consumers now believe that "broadband is becoming as essential a utility as electricity or water."
One troubling aspect of the s92A rewrite is that Internet Termination has been carried over as a form of punishment, going international trends in the UK with officials condemning termination as “unfair” and a “disproportionate response” to infringement. Internet access is an essential utility to New Zealand homes and businesses. In future years internet termination will be seen as unfair as cutting off someone's electricity, phone or post service. Instead fines or royalty payments can be measured to fit.
To win over New Zealanders a modern copyright law must have due process, judgment by experts in data forensics and copyright law, proportionate sanctions, and compensation to artists. A penalty of internet termination is likely to result in simply pushing illegal downloading further underground.
In future years internet termination will be seen as unfair as cutting off someone's electricity, phone or post service.
We should speak out against injustices like Internet Termination being done in the name of artists and protecting creativity.
