back to article TelstraClear slams new kiwi download laws

The chief executive of TelstraClear, Allan Freeth, has lashed out against the pending introduction of new file sharing laws in New Zealand, which come into effect September 1. In a public release, Freeth states that the legislation is “flawed and needs to change.” When the Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Act …

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  1. Leo Stretch
    Thumb Up

    Thats what happens...

    when you enact legislation under emergency powers. No debate and pisspoor law. Nice one Allan, you've pretty well summed up the state of affairs here now.

  2. Shane Sturrock
    FAIL

    Any torrenting or just copyright material?

    What isn't clear is whether they're just going to look for bittorrent users and slap a cease and decist on them or actually check what it is that the're seeding. I regularly use bittorrent to get linux distributions because it is much faster so are they going to stop me doing that? I have a crazy amount of DVDs and Blu-rays, not to mention all the dead formats like HD DVD, LaserDisc and VHS I've previously bought into. I have supported the movie and TV industry to the tune of tens of thousands of $ and have a wall full of discs. Lately though, since they seem to charge double the price for movies here versus elsewhere I don't feel like buying so much any more and tend to just rent or wait for the free to air broadcast. Are they going to start blocking that too? Perhaps if we didn't get overcharged so much, they wouldn't be losing so many customers.

    I guess I'll have to find something else to do rather than watch films and TV. Oh darn

    1. MichaelBirks
      Headmaster

      Trigger events

      @Shane - the way it's written, the ISPs, like TC, sit on their hands until they get an official complaint from the rights holder (MPAA or studio) about a specific IP address (and, presumably, time)

      They assume the Rights Holder is correct in all particulars and pass on the complaint to the user.

      Unless Torvalds starts being a dick, you're not going to attract a complaint for Lunix distros or TED videos.

    2. Leo Stretch

      Free to Air

      I'd love to wait for stuff on FTA - much as I find the incessant breaks between adverts intensely annoying :)

      Just not the nigh on one year it currently seems to be for pretty well anything I might enjoy.

      Or when it finally arrives on our remote shores, they don't take off air mid season with no notice & no apparent reason.

      Meh.

  3. FozzyBear

    Mr Freeth

    Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but your arguments are concise, relevant and provide a common sense approach and insight into today's digital marketplace. It is for these reasons that your arguments will fall on deaf ears and never, ever see the light reason within ANY parliamentary process ANYWHERE.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    The chief executive of TelstraClear, Allan Freeth

    Conspiracy?

    Oh yes.

    Check that name.

    Allan Freeth

    OR

    ALLan FREEth.......

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Mushroom

    See, the thing is...

    White the legislation is a giant pile of stinking doodies, and NO ONE seems to have registered that while other nations have been fighting around the three-strikes and you're disconnected malarkey, here in Kiwiland, they somehow managed to load a $15,000 fine into the mix while folk were still debating whether broadband access is a fundamental human right.

    ... but putting that aside, the thing is, that TelstraClear throwing stones at ANYTHING given the utterly beyond-belief uselessness of that organisations customer service is, well, head-shakingly pathetic really.

    For example, evidence strongly suggests that the know-nothing telescript-monkeys in their off-shore call-centre, upon a request to say, talk to technical support, or a supervisor, or basically ANYONE who might be able to help - are trained to put the customer on hold for seven minutes, and then say that no-one is available right now (in a meeting, not here, you name it)

    Then there's the fact that they're shutting down the Paradise service, but haven't actually communicated this to any Paradise customers; in the meantime, they have arbitrarily changed the T&Cs for those customers - but they'll only discover that accidentally; like if they ask to switch plans the way the Paradise website says they can.

    So yeah, Mr Freeth, with all due respect, get off your fricking high-horse and fix your own frigging business, maybe, hmmm?

  6. sueme2
    Big Brother

    sueme2

    Just remember, this law allows you to close almost any internet service. So it will be a problem for any business, public library, internet cafe, coffee shop, Starbux, Mcdonald, international airport.... Way to go - not. The solution for an ISP might be to simply collect the loot and cut off all internet access to some bottom of the harbour - vacant lot - landfill - address.

    1. MichaelBirks
      Happy

      And other places.

      Don't forget Parliament.

      Speaker Smiley got Gareth'd about that during Question Time the other week.

    2. Yes Me Silver badge
      FAIL

      not to mention...

      Not mention that any high school or university that takes this cretinous law seriously would have to cut off student access to most everything except filtered HTTP. Otherwise it would theoretically be about 3000 strikes/second and you're VERY out.

      Sweepstake on how long this law survives?

      Other countries, please don't copy.

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