An interesting statement from Google here
http://www.osnews.com/story/21167/Google_Most_DMCA_Takedown_Notices_IllegitimateThe proposed law in New Zealand would force ISPs to cut off internet access for those who are accused of copyright infringement.
In any case, this element of the law (section 92A) has been met with a lot of resistance from Google, who heavily criticised the newly proposed law. According to Google, 57% of the takedown notices it has received under the DMCA in the United States were sent by business targeting competitors. In addition, 37% were not valid copyright claims at all.
As such, Google concludes that "Section 92A puts users' procedural and fundamental rights at risk, by threatening to terminate users' internet access based on mere allegations and reverse the burden of proof onto a user to establish there was no infringement." Google continues to state that "Section 92A undermines the incredible social and economic benefits of the open and universally accessible internet, by providing for a remedy of account termination or disconnection that is disproportionate to the harm of copyright infringement online."
This recent announcement from Google regarding the proposed NZ anti-consumer pro-commercial-media company law is a welcome addition to the swelling numbers of groups horrified by the shoddy concept of "disconnection-by-allegation" proposed by certain plainly anti-democratic politicians.
Its hard work waging a battle with authorities when they try to subjugate their own citizens but with the help of big organisation such as this one it seems open democracy has a friend.
