MUMBAI: The New Zealand Federation Against Copyright Theft (NZFACT), representing the Motion Picture Association (MPA) in New Zealand, welcomed the New Zealand government’s resolve to enhance new legislation that requires Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to put in place policies that protect copyright.

The government recently announced its intention to rework Section 92A of the Copyright Act 1994, which targeted illegal file-sharing of copyrighted works and was scheduled to come into force on 27 March. Commerce Minister Simon Power, in making the announcement delaying the implementation of this provision also confirmed the government’s commitment to combat unlawful file – sharing which facilitates copyright infringement on a large scale.

“We welcome the Minister’s reiteration of the importance of the need to tackle through legislation the problem of illegal file-sharing and its knock-on effect on copyright infringement, not to mention its detrimental effect on New Zealand’s creative industries, and the role ISPs have to play in this matter,” said NZFACT executive director Tony Eaton.

“We are, however, disappointed with the delay in the implementation of the law, which we think is of the utmost urgency in dealing with online piracy. While we are currently determining the reasons for the decision and the amendments being considered, we are looking forward to a speedy resolution of the outstanding issues and remain committed to continue working with ISPs, the government and other parties to address them,” he added.