Aussie ISP, iiNet, wins copyright trial

[sabredog]

Today, the High Court of Australia has unamously dismissed AFACT's appeal in its entirety. AFACT must also pay costs for the appeal.

AFACT has now exhausted all legal means to pursue iiNet over their accusation that iiNet facilitated copyright activities by refusing to pass on allegation letters issued by AFACT. Rather, they passed the letters on to the police for investigation.

http://www.itnews.com.au/News/297746...rt-appeal.aspx

http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/2...e@iinet.net.au

The facilitator of AFACT's attempt to force ISP's to act as copyright police in Australia by choosing a so called soft target has been revealed to be the MPAA

Good news.

[plib]

Yes!! Finally, a high/supreme court that sticks to its legal principles.

[carpetmojo]

First time for everything - by the way, which party has the most mazooma/A$ by the way?

[melmac]

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

First time for everything - by the way, which party has the most mazooma/A$ by the way?

AFACT by a country mile a front for Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Roadshow Entertainment, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, Warner Brothers and the MPAA

[sabredog]

MPAA told AFACT to target iiNet as a soft target. Being the third biggest ISP in Australia they thought they could not fund a competent and potentially long legal battle and roll over. Telstra and Optus being too big a mouthful to chew, even though both of those larger companies do not pass on AFACT allegation letters to customers either.

However iiNet did not roll, did not give up and won both the original court case and both appeals to higher courts. Now AFACT are screaming legislation change. Boo Hoo....

[melmac]

Originally Posted by sabredog

Now AFACT are screaming legislation change. Boo Hoo....

I'd imagine they'll start campaigning for legislation change or start targeting end users or a combination of both. What they wont do but should is pull their heads out of the sand and provide Aussie with a legal alternative at the moment our options are few. Everyday I read of locals jumping through hoops signing up with Vpns importing US Debit cards etc just so they can subscribe to Hulu Netflix Amazon instant video etc if some of these legal options were available to Australians then piracy would dramatically reduce.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by melmac

Everyday I read of locals jumping through hoops signing up with Vpns importing US Debit cards etc just so they can subscribe to Hulu Netflix Amazon instant video etc if some of these legal options were available to Australians then piracy would dramatically reduce.

Those services are US only because of the legal nightmare of trying to sort out video distribution rights. This is not something specific to Australia: the services you name are available ONLY in the United States.

[melmac]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Those services are US only because of the legal nightmare of trying to sort out video distribution rights. This is not something specific to Australia: the services you name are available ONLY in the United States.

I well aware of that, the problem is that the content providers complain about the piracy of the material but don't offer an alternative. The fact that many are going to those lengths to purchase material and subscriptions semi legally, shows that the demand and desire for legal content is there.

[plib]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Those services are US only because of the legal nightmare of trying to sort out video distribution rights. This is not something specific to Australia: the services you name are available ONLY in the United States.

Netflix is also available in Canada, the others mentioned aren't. Nor are a number of "freebies" listed on this board apparently.

If they don't sort out their "legal nightmare" soon they're going to finish up with a world that will just download what it wants. There are already Swedish Pirate Party MEPs, the German Pirate Party is polling at 9% and there are even US Pirate Party chapters popping up in the last few years. There was actually a column in the Torygraph the other day that said "if the law calls Middle England housewives criminals then the law is wrong and has to be changed. Or else there'll be revolution" (as near verbatim as I can recall - it was referring to ebooks but the principle is the same). Coming from the Telegraph that's quite a sea change.

They'd be better served by calling off their legal dogs from all their lawsuits and putting them to work to sort out video distribution rights, (and music/ebook/whatever) or they'll face a much larger nightmare.

[sabredog]

This is certainly a poke in the eye to the AFACT/MPAA and their attendant copyright trolls.

A small part of me hoped that there might be an announcement of change, a promise to make distribution more 21st century but no.

Bluray costs will remain at $30-40 for new releases (Gee, I buy my blurays from Amazon UK for less than half the cost. Thanks Jeff). Movies will come to the cinema weeks after initial release, nearly all TV shows after six to 12 months (with added features such as being stopped, started, pre-empted, shown out of order or moved to late timeslots), books will be indexed at the cost of gold per ounce and ebooks stopped at the border.

Meanwhile all Aussie cinema goers have to put up with the teeth grinding AFACT "downloading is stealing" ads.

[plib]

Originally Posted by sabredog

Meanwhile all Aussie cinema goers have to put up with the teeth grinding AFACT "downloading is stealing" ads.

I feel your pain! At least when you rip a DVD you can get rid of that crap!

I've just about given up going to the movies, I get a much better, and much cheaper, experience on home theatre. And there hasn't really been a movie in recent years that I've just had to watch before it's available on DVD.

[Blue Tyson]

include - at a reasonable price.

If it is the usual double, torrents and vpns etc. will still win.

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by plib

I feel your pain! At least when you rip a DVD you can get rid of that crap!

I've just about given up going to the movies, I get a much better, and much cheaper, experience on home theatre. And there hasn't really been a movie in recent years that I've just had to watch before it's available on DVD.

We just purchased a 55" HD smart TV, Coupled with our exiting surround sound and HTPC, going to the movies is going to get real rare now. We will just wait and buy (via Amazon or eBay of course)

[plib]

Originally Posted by sabredog

We just purchased a 55" HD smart TV, Coupled with our exiting surround sound and HTPC, going to the movies is going to get real rare now. We will just wait and buy (via Amazon or eBay of course)

Similar system, except I have size envy for 55" , and ours is an Asus O!Play and a NAS over the LAN.

Either way it beats the pants off overpriced refreshments, sticky floors and seats, teenagers who don't know how to shut up, not having to cross your legs for a long epic - and the aforementioned propaganda.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by plib

Similar system, except I have size envy for 55" , and ours is an Asus O!Play and a NAS over the LAN.

Either way it beats the pants off overpriced refreshments, sticky floors and seats, teenagers who don't know how to shut up, not having to cross your legs for a long epic - and the aforementioned propaganda.

But how many times could you have gone to the pictures for the price of that little lot?