Govt considers 'streamlined' piracy policy

Federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland has called for comment on whether the government should establish a "streamlined" process for copyright owners to get hold of the personal information about alleged infringers from internet service providers (ISPs).

The six-page public consultation paper, announced by McClelland at the Copyright Law & Practice Symposium in Sydney, noted that in the Telecommunications Act and the Privacy Act, copyright owners are only able to get information about alleged infringers through a court order. This presented a difficulty in the digital world, the paper stated.

"Widespread unauthorised downloading and use of file-sharing applications has made it increasingly difficult for copyright owners to successfully commercialise their property in the digital environment," the paper noted. "The difficulty of identifying persons engaging in infringing activities has also made it very difficult for copyright owners to protect and enforce their rights."

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