Pirate Party Australia are still deeply dissatisfied with the lack of consumer involvement in talks held by the Attorney-General’s Department with ISPs and content rights holders.
The talks that occurred on the 23rd of September last year deliberately excluded consumers from any negotiations or deliberations, as documents released under the Freedom of Information Act in December reveal. The documents frequently reference the importance of the consumer, and yet indicate a continual push for an industry-based solution. “Relevant consumer groups [will be consulted] once industry discussions have reached an appropriate stage”[1] says one document.
The documents also indicate that consumers are not considered key-stakeholders in regards to online copyright infringement, and yet urge industry to consider the consumer interests.