Leaked emails hint at piracy crackdown

The Australian Department of Communications and the Attorney-General’s Department are cracking down on online piracy.

According to digital news website ZDNet, a new policy for music, film and TV piracy is expected to be introduced after ‘secret’ collaborations between Attorney-General George Brandis and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Emails between the pair were obtained by ZDNet and date back as early as February this year. They suggest Brandis and Turnbull are considering a “graduated warnings” response scheme that will see repeat infringers fined and if need be, disconnected from the internet. The news follows a speech Brandis made in February where he proposed blocking websites that host pirated content.

Brandis, who said Australia was the ‘worst offender’ in the world when it came to online piracy at a Senate hearing in Canberra, has been in discussion with Australian internet users, ISPs, content owners and file-sharing websites.