Shanks Katrina: Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Shanks Katrina: Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
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KATRINA SHANKS (National) 
: 
 It is my pleasure to take a call on the second reading of the Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill tonight. It is interesting to note that this bill repeals section 92A of the Copyright Act 1994 which was introduced under the leadership of Judith Tizard of the then Labour Government. We talk about technology and how fast it moves and we know that since 1994 technology has moved extremely fast. What was relevant then is not necessarily relevant now. It is important when we are looking at legislation around technology—for example this bill which is very narrow; it is about file sharing—that we get legislation that can stay true for a period of time and will not be outdated. It is more principle-based I believe and that is the way it should be in order to ensure it stays current for a longer period of time in a very fast-changing environment. 
The Commerce Committee worked really hard on this legislation I have to say. The select committee had it for a long time. In fact I felt very sorry for the officials when they first came in. I think I am relatively savvy when it comes to computers but when it comes to file sharing my generation does not know much about it; it was not around when I first started using computers. It actually took them a while to explain file sharing to a few of us on the committee. It came down to having little boxes in front of the select committee and the officials would explain that a bit is taken from this box and a bit from that box—a bit from this computer—until there are a thousand little bits and they make up a file. It takes a bit to get one’s mind round it. 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: It does. 
KATRINA SHANKS 
: That is right I say to Steve. It took a little while for the committee to get its mind round what this bill was about. At the end of the day the committee came to a compromise. We had a huge debate over how we discourage file sharing and how we ensure we are not over-regulating or over-penalising people who file share. But it is really important to remember that file sharing is actually an illegal activity. We talked about two things. One was Internet service provider warning notices. An Internet connection provider such as Telstra or XTRA would give customers a warning if they think they have committed a breach and have been file sharing. One can then get a second warning and a third warning. We also talked about it being about not just breaching it but knowing that one has breached it. A whole generation out there is coming through that does not understand that file sharing— 
Jonathan Young 
: Don’t care. 
KATRINA SHANKS 
: Or they do not care but I do not think that is necessarily true. They do not realise that what they are doing is illegal and is not right. Out there we have peer-to-peer file-sharing programs. One can put a software program on one’s computer and file share. What is wrong with that? I have three children who are on the Internet all the time. I do not know whether as a parent I would be able to find out whether they are file sharing. I like to think they are not and I like to think we have educated our children about it. But until I had this legislation before me at the select committee I did not know about it I have to say. It is quite different from breaching copyright where someone sends someone else a file. That is different again. If someone sends someone else a file they may be breaching a copyright as opposed to what this legislation is about which is peer-to-peer file-sharing programs. I think it is important to educate the many kids out there. Ohariu the electorate where I live has very high usage of computers especially by youth. It is really important that we educate our youth and their parents about what file sharing is and educate them that we should not be doing it. It is different from breaching copyright and we must bear that in mind. 
I am looking forward to debating this bill further in the House in the Committee stage and the third reading. Thank you very much.