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Foxtel confirms it is ‘assessing’ options to launch first cases under anti-piracy laws

foxtelFoxtel is considering  launching the first legal action under recently passed piracy laws, the pay TV company has confirmed.

Bosses at Foxtel are seeking legal advice on how best to bring about the case under Australia’s new site-blocking legislation, which was passed by The Senate back in June, but have not put any time frame on how long the process could take.

The case could be aimed at websites like Pirate Bay which allow people to access content such as Game of Thrones, which Foxtel holds the exclusive Australian rights to, and block them from being accessed in Australia.

A Foxtel spokesperson told Mumbrella: “The Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill does nothing more than give copyright holders similar rights in relation to foreign websites which steal their content to those they would have if the sites were based in Australia.

“Because these pirate sites do not exist in Australia, rights holders are not able to take direct legal action against them. Similar laws exists in Europe, the UK, Singapore and many other jurisdictions.

“Foxtel and other rights holders are currently assessing what action can and should be taken to give effect to the legislation.”

There has been surprise at the lack of action so far, given companies such as Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder said they would be “lining up at the front doors of the court” when the laws were passed.

A successful application would force ISPs such as Telstra, Optus and iiNet to comply with the order by disabling access to the banned IP address.

ASTRA chief executive Andrew Maiden said in June that he hoped piracy traffic could halve under the new laws, although voiced concerns over a VPN loophole.

A report in July commissioned by the Department of Communications showed 43 per cent of Australians surveyed admitted downloading at least one illegal form of content.

Kevin Bradford

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