Does this law cover the use of online “file lockers” or downloading from YouTube?

testuser — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:46:12 +0000

Maybe, but not for now. InternetNZ sought an official statement on this matter from the Ministry of Economic Development on this subject and was informed that the intention of the Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Act 2011 is to quell infringement occurring over peer-to-peer (“P2P”) protocols and networks like bittorrent or gnutella. This does not include video or music streaming, ripping videos from YouTube, or online file lockers.

However, as explained by InternetNZ Chief Executive Vikram Kumar, “despite the intentions behind the law, the definitive interpretation will come from decisions made by the Copyright Tribunal and Courts if [the scope] of the law is ever tested”.

The copyright owner can attempt to recover financial penalties from individuals for infringement no matter how the infringement occurred. The new law was designed to make it easier for copyright owners to do so with file-sharers.

Untangle the Jargon

testuser — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 01:58:23 +0000

When we talk about file sharing, there is often a lot of technical terms thrown around. Don’t let them put you off understanding what is involved in the law change. Here are some of the terms and their meanings.

File sharing

A method of sharing digital information such as music and video over the internet.

Wi-fi

A computer networking technology that allows data to be transmitted over radio waves so you don’t need to connect two devices with a cable.

Wi-fi Protected Access (WPA) passwords

A Wi-Fi security standard that was designed as an improvement to WEP (wired equivalent privacy).

Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks or software

A system that allows people to share large music or videos files. Users can simultaneously swap large files using these systems. Examples of P2P systems include Napster and BitTorrent.

IP address

A unique number that identifies a PC when it’s connected to the internet.

Firewall

Software (or hardware) that blocks unwanted communication from, and often to, the internet.

Anti-virus software

Software that sits on your computer and scans, and then removes, viruses from your PC.

ISP

Standing for internet service provider, this is the company that enables and services your internet connection.

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