12 June

Senate Committee releases its report on the Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill 2015

On 11 June 2015 the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs released its report on the Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill 2015 recommending that the law be passed with some amendments.

If the Bill is passed, it would allow copyright holders to apply to the Federal Court for an injunction requiring an ISP to block overseas websites whose “primary purpose” is piracy. The ISP would then be made to disable access to the website for Australian Internet users.

Arts Law supports the Bill as it allows copyright owners to block access to online locations that engage in the flagrant infringement of copyright. The Bill balances the interests of the copyright owners, ISPs and operators of the online location as the impact of an injunction on each stakeholder will be taken into account before the Court makes a decision to block access to an online location. Read more about Arts Law’s position and our submission to the Senate Committee here.

UPDATE: On 22 June 2015, the Senate passed the Bill with support from both the Government and the Opposition. The Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Act 2015 received royal assent on 26 June 2015.