Piracy: Malcolm Turnbull highlights role of ISPs in stopping illegal downloads as Government releases discussion paper

[Archiee]

Internet service providers could be asked to do more to crack down on piracy, according to a Federal Government consultation paper that seeks to address illegal downloading of copyrighted material.

Two years ago Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the High Court had made the right decision when it ruled internet provider iiNet was not liable for the actions of its customers.

But he has now released a discussion paper saying providers should take reasonable steps to make sure their customers are not illegally downloading material.

Mr Turnbull says internet piracy is undermining a "very important industry globally".

"Internet piracy, downloading a movie that you haven't paid for, is theft," he told the ABC's AM program.

"I'm a passionate defender of freedom on the internet but freedom on the internet doesn't mean freedom to steal."

Acknowledging cost as a factor in Australia's rate of illegal downloads, Mr Turnbull said content owners have "got to play their part".

"People are entitled to sell their products for whatever price they like ... that's their right," he said.

"[But] if you want to discourage privacy, the best thing you can do, and the music industry is a very good example of this, is to make your content available globally, universally and affordably."

Media player: "Space" to play, "M" to mute, "left" and "right" to seek.
AUDIO: Malcolm Turnbull discusses the complexities of accessing content on the internet (AM)
In the paper, Mr Turnbull and Attorney-General George Brandis co-sign a foreword which suggests shared responsibility in the fight against piracy.

"Rights holders can ensure that content can be accessed easily and at a reasonable price by their customers," they wrote.

"Internet service providers can take reasonable steps to ensure their systems are not used to infringe copyright [and] consumers can do the right thing and access content lawfully."

Among international solutions cited in the discussion paper is New Zealand's approach, which Mr Turnbull describes as the "best comparison" available for Australia.

He says internet providers in New Zealand must send a notice to customers when rights holders tell them they have detected illegal downloading.

"And after they've sent three notices in respect of different violations, it's up to the rights holder then if they want to ... take the customer to court," he said.

Submissions on the Online Copyright Infringement Discussion Paper close on September 1.