The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) today said it was disappointed by its losing position in the internet piracy trial against local ISP iiNet, but said it believed the verdict was not what the Federal Government wanted.

Justice Cowdroy today handed iiNet a sound victory in the Australian ISP’s long-running battle against a coalition of film and television studios, finding in the Federal Court that iiNet did not authorise copyright infringement carried out by its customers using the BitTorrent file-sharing platform.

“We are confident that the Government does not intend a policy outcome where rampant copyright infringement is allowed to continue unaddressed and unabated via the iiNet network,” said AFACT executive director Neil Gane in a statement, speaking on behalf of the organisation and the film and TV studios who brought the action.

“Today’s decision is a setback for the 50,000 Australians employed in the film industry. But we believe this decision was based on a technical finding centred on the court’s interpretation of how the infringements occur and the ISP’s ability to control them.”

Gane added AFACT would now take time to review the decision before making further comment on its next steps.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has not yet made a statement on the verdict, but he has previous commented on the trial.

For example, in March 2009, the Minister said iiNet’s defence was like something which “belongs in a Yes, Minister episode”, referring to the famously bureaucratic television series.

Related posts:

1. AFACT to appeal some iiTrial court costs
2. Conroy to examine iiTrial
3. AFACT will appeal iiNet verdict
4. iiTrial: Telstra welcomes “legal clarity”
5. AFACT locked on iiTrial; won’t discuss piracy plan

1. By Delimiter – Conroy to examine iiTrial on 04/02/2010 at 5:14 pm

   [...] anticipated by the telecommunications sector due to the fact AFACT executive director Neil Gane appeared to appeal to government intervention in the issue of how copyright infringement should be dealt [...]

2. Tom Dullemond
   Posted 05/02/2010 at 1:31 am | Permalink | Reply

   Fascinated to see that the content industry seems to think that protecting its intellectual property, and its business model, is somehow the purvey of government. Someone really needs to get a grip. Governments ideally don't get involved in legislating to protect corporations.

   Ok, ok, I said 'ideally, and I guess a corporation is a real boy, too (ref. recent US ruling)…

3. By Delimiter – After 16 years, Michael Malone is still excited on 08/02/2010 at 7:40 am

   [...] do so. Even the question of whether they will appeal the case is still up in the air, after AFACT issued a tersely worded statement following the trial that it would consider its [...]