Kiwis scrap 'three strikes' P2P policy

New Zealand has temporarily abandoned its plans to enact a French-style "three-strikes" internet policy that forces ISPs to disconnect customers repeatedly accused of illegally downloading copyrighted materials. Kiwi's controversial section 92a of the Copyright Act was shown the door by Prime Minister John Key on Monday …

[CTG]

U-turns all round

Would this "well-organized internet blackout campaign" be related to the "feeble protest" that El Reg described at the time? I think we should be told.

And why exactly did TelstraClear grow a pair and stand up to the govt on this one? It couldn't possible be because it listened to the "feeble protest" and realised that if they meekly agreed to the law that they would soon be losing customers in droves.

I don't use Twatter myself, and think all the hype about it is tosh, but there is no denying that all the media coverage about the protests on Facebook et al were a major factor in raising public awareness about section 92a. The politicians would have just ignored the issue if it hadn't been on One News, and it wouldn't have been on One News if the protest hadn't happened. For once, a grassroots protest has actually achieved its goal. It wasn't Facebook or Twatter that did it, though - it was the media's gormless obession with Web 2.0.

[Rubber chicken]

Speed up el Reg - this is days old!!

the old skool news "paper" that this was written on days ago is in my cats litter box.....

[Ru]

Re: why exactly did TelstraClear grow a pair?

Easy, because not doing so would have cost them plenty of money in time and effort for the benefit of the copyright holders; not their own shareholders.

They're hardly 'good guys' in this context.

[Jamie]

To all those who came before us

I would like to see a rememberance section setup to all those that came before us and fought in the Great Wars to maintain our freedoms.

I have no problem with the law other than the fact that there is a little portion which you have stated that you only have to be accused 3 times to be booted. There is no need to prove this.

I always thought that one fo the things which those in the Western World held so dear is the idea of innocent until proven guilty, not guilty unless you can prove you are innocent.

[Dennis]

So this is democracy looks like

Maybe we should send some of our elected representatives off there to pick up some tips on what 'doing what you where elected to do' means

As opposed to what our polotic's do which is chase the Big Business Buck.

New Zealand. I've always liked there. Might be worth considering a move there seeing as the UK has gone to hell