NZ Government Runs For Cover on Copyright

With friends like this, the RIAA, IFPI and MPAA hardly need enemies. The current NZ Government is clearly running for cover to distance itself from the "three strikes"/no rule of law/absence of due process/industry defined infringement approach of the previous NZ government. It seems prepared - indeed eager - to repeal the controversial s. 92A of its copyright legislation even before it comes into force. As is being reported:

Calls to scrap the controversial new internet copyright law are increasing ahead of the Government's March 27 deadline for a decision on its future.

United Future leader Peter Dunne, the minister of revenue, today compared it with the ill-fated Electoral Finance Act (EFA).

"The EFA arguably started out with good intentions but those became overwhelmed by the impracticalities of the legislation," he said on Radio New Zealand.

"In the end it became a pariah, it literally brought a government down and Parliament has now repealed it. I would have thought we would have learned a lesson."

Mr Dunne is the second government minister to oppose the new law.

(emphasis added)

One can only hope that the "lesson" isn't lost on the UK government, the Canadian government, and others that might be entertaining thoughts of such ill-conceived legislation and lobbying visits from such entertainment industry organizations as CRIA and its lobbyists.

HK