Film/Music Biz Lose In ISP Decision

In a blow to the entertainment industry, the Federal Court of Australia sided with an Australian Internet service producer and rejected claims that it infringed movie copyright.

The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT), which represents the movie and TV industry, claimed Perth ISP iiNet ignored repeated notices to stop illegal copyrighted file transfers and cited 94,000 instances.

The Australian music industry insists that ISPs have a responsibility to stop copyright infringement by their users. But the court ruled 2-1 against it in this case.

iiNet CEO Michael Malone said after the decision that movie studios need to deliver movies cheaply and quickly to consumers, and that intervention was needed by the Australian government to clarify the responsibilities of ISPs.