The government wants to significantly expand the scope of laws that currently allow copyright owners and licensees to seek court orders forcing Australian Internet service providers (ISPs) to block their customers from accessing sites that facilitate online piracy.
Microsoft has sued a Wisconsin man for allegedly selling stolen Windows and Office activation codes and said he still owes the company $1.2 million from an earlier judgment.
Civil liberties group Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) is calling for a halt to the introduction of the Copyright Notice Scheme, under which ISPs will send copyright infringement notices to their customers.
A bill that will in some circumstances force ISPs to block access to websites linked to online piracy looks almost certain to become law.
The government’s metadata regime will open the door to more copyright prosecutions and speculative invoicing, rather than focusing on police investigations and terrorism, according to the Australian Greens.
