iiNet: AFACT appeal will not stop piracy

iiNet chief Michael Malone today said that another court challenge to last month's Full Federal Court judgement will not stop illegal downloading even if successful.

The response comes as the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) today announced that it will continue court action against iiNet, seeking to appeal its case to the High Court. Malone said more legal proceedings were not a solution, adding that the two-year court case had "not stopped one illegal download".

Further appeals, Malone said, will not stop piracy.

"People are crying out to access the studios' materials, so much so some are prepared to steal it. A more effective approach would be for the studios to make their content more readily and cheaply available online," he said.

"But we also recognise that regardless of the availability of timely, reasonably priced content, some individuals will continue to try to source content illegally."

In a statement released last week, iiNet recommended that an independent third party to police internet copyright infringement would be more effective.

"Our model addresses ISP concerns but is one we think remains attractive to all participants, including the sustainable strategy of an impartial referee for the resolution of disputes and the issue of penalties for offenders," said Malone, adding that an independent umpire was the only way to ensure natural justice.

This, he argued, would protect customer privacy and allow copyright owners rights "to pursue alleged infringers".