WebProNews

The Australian government is considering legislation that would force Internet service providers to take legal action against users who download content illegally.

The proposal is similar to legislation that is being considered in the UK that would implement a three-strikes policy against users who illegally share files using peer-to-peer technology to download music, TV shows and movies for free.

Under the three-strikes policy a warning would be issued to first time violators, the second strike would lead to a users Internet access being suspended and the third strike would cancel the users Internet access.

Music Industry Piracy Investigations (MIPI) general manager Sabiene Heindl said her group had been lobbying for the policy for a year. "Because P2P file sharing involves these music files sitting on individual people's computers, there is very little that MIPI can do to remove those files or stop them being shared," she said, reported the Sydney Morning Herald.

"That's why we have been pushing a proposal to Internet service providers for a commonsense system of warning notices which, if unheeded, would ultimately result in a user having their account suspended or disconnected."

National Internet Industry Association chief executive Peter Corones said," Internet service providers are not the enforcers of copyright." They are "a mere conduit" for Internet connectivity.