The Government has today announced the fee internet service providers will be able to charge rights holders to get an ISP to process an allegation of copyright infringement under the Copyright Amendment Act, which comes into effect on September 1st.
The fee has been set at $25, but this will be reviewed after six months to ensure it is the right price.
“For rights holders, the fee level ensures the regime is a more cost-effective enforcement measure than what is currently available through the courts, and allows them to pursue a reasonable number of alleged copyright infringements to educate internet users.
“For ISPs, the fee level prevents them from being inundated with alleged copyright breaches to the point they find it difficult to comply with the regime, and allows them to recover a reasonable proportion of their costs,” says Commerce Minister Simon Power.
The regulations also prescribe that the application fee to take a claim to the Copyright Tribunal is $200. The Copyright Tribunal can then determine an award of up to $15,000 for copyright infringement arising from file sharing.
Before getting to a tribunal stage those accused of breaking file-sharing laws will be given three warnings.
District courts have been given the power to suspend internet accounts for six months, but only if the Commerce Minister feels the three strike system has not worked.
The charges are likely to be unpopular with record companies and movie studios who had called for a charge of no more than $2 according to Fairfax Media.
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