Monday, February 23, 2009

Welcome to the blackout
This Saturday, February 28th, Section 92A of the Copyright Act is due to come into force. This website has voluntarily been blacked out in protest against this law, which will be used to disconnect New Zealanders from the internet based on accusations of copyright infringement, without a trial and without evidence held up to court scrutiny.

May we be very clear: we do not support or condone copyright infringement or illegal downloads. But this blatant disregard towards the basic human right to a fair trial is completely unjust and unworkable and it has the potential to punish New Zealand businesses and individuals where in fact no laws have been broken.

Similar laws have been rejected in the EU as being against "a fair balance between various fundamental rights", rejected in the UK due to "impracticalities", and rejected in Germany as being 'Unfit for Germany, Unfit For Europe'. We don't care who voted for the law in the first place. We just want it stopped.

We call on the Minister responsible, National's Simon Power, to do the right thing and repeal Section 92A immediately. Visit CreativeFreedom.org.nz to learn more"

UPDATE: AT 4pm today, after the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister John Key "announced the controversial Section 92A law, which has been widely condemned by internet users, is to be delayed.

It will go on hold until March 27 while work is carried out on a voluntary code of practice. If no solution is reached by then it will be suspended.

If no agreement was reached then the section would be suspended, Mr Key said. If a code was agreed to, there would be a review after six months to see if the law was working as it was intended." NZ Herald link

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