New Zealand author society pleads for internet levy

New Zealand is preparing an amendment to its copyright legislation to introduce a three strikes regime. The NZ Society of Authors has suggested an amendment to the bill for introducing an internet levy.

According to the Society, the bill would not help to turn the tide on the majority of file-sharing. In order to recoup some of the lost income, the Society proposes an internet levy to be paid by all internet users.

While the Society seeks to be reimbursed for missed income through undetected file-sharing, it also notices, in the proposal filed with the NZ government, that implementing a blanket licence online would not be easy.

"Something would have to be constructed and it would be difficult because you're not dealing with only institutions and companies, you're dealing with individuals and you're dealing with ISPs as well and you're dealing with international [parties].”

In proposing a blanket licence, the Society refers to the copying levy for firms and institutions with photocopiers. However, such a reference may not be fitting, as the goal of the existing levy was to reimburse rights holders for users’ copies, not fighting piracy.

The Society further proposes that the bill also consider the digital future of literature. In its current form, the bill is developed mainly to address file sharing of music, movies and software as books are still mostly an ink and paper business. With the increasing footprints that e-books and their readers make on the business, however, the bill also concerns their business.

Some time ago, this blog wrote an article about why we think that a blanket licence is not a good idea. A levy system is unfair on those who do not download and would require invasive monitoring of downloaded material for fairly repartitioning the income from this levy.