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Copyright Amendment Act (Online Infringement Bill)

The music industry welcomes the passage of the Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill. The new section 115A gives copyright owners the ability to apply for court orders against illegal offshore sites whose primary purpose is copyright infringement.

We thank the Government and the Opposition for supporting this important legislation and through it showing their support of the creative industries which are such an important part of Australia’s cultural and economic life.

Section 115A gives the creative community an effective tool to disrupt illegal off shore sites which make millions of dollars from advertising but give nothing back to the artists whose work they systematically exploit on a massive scale. Australian consumers have over 30 licensed online music sites to choose from across a range of platforms and at price points, including free on advertising supported services, yet these illegal sites have continued to flourish and make money for their operators because there was nothing the copyright owners could do locally to stop them. Until now.