ISP Industry Body Has Head In The Sand, MIPI Boss Argues

by Mary Swire, for LawAndTax-News.com, Hong Kong

22 July 2005

Responding to comments made by chief executive of the Australian Internet Industry Association (IIA), Peter Coroneos, the head of Music Industry Piracy Investigations, Michael Kerin suggested that the Association was misguided in its view of a recent court ruling.

Mr Coroneos had stated that the recent federal court decision that the ISP hosting the mp3s4free.net website was liable for the copyright infringing activities of its customer was a "very unique" case, as the ISP had cooperated with the website owner, and had received advertising revenue.

"That would apply to no ISP I know of in Australia. They wouldn't do that," he suggested following delivery of the verdict.

However, the ZD Net news service this week quoted Mr Kerin as observing that:

"I think that trying to downplay the implications of this decision for ISPs within Australia is taking a ‘head in the sand’ attitude. It is about time the IIA got their house in order and provided some real guidance to their members on their responsibilities with regard to copyright infringement."

He went on to add that:

"These observations would seem to be at odds with the IIA's activities in lobbying support for a fighting fund to defend the Cooper case, and the upcoming [case against ISP Swiftel over a BitTorrent file-sharing hub], for that matter."

Finally, speaking with regard to the IIA chief's assertion that the relationship between mp3s4free.net and its internet service provider was unique, the MIPI general manager reportedly announced that:

"Most relationships between ISPs and their customers would...feature a benefit being delivered to the ISPs, whether it be advertising and, or, increased traffic flow or otherwise."

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