Sky targets web pirates via courts

Sky Television is seeking the right to force the country’s top internet providers to block access to websites hosting pirated material.

InternetNZ chief executive Jordan Carter said the move was ‘‘an extreme step’’ that was unprecedented in New Zealand.

Taryn Hamilton, consumer manager of Vocus New Zealand, which owns the Slingshot and Orcon internet brands, said Sky’s demand was ‘‘something you would expect in North Korea, not in New Zealand’’.

‘‘It isn’t our job to police the internet and it sure as hell isn’t Sky’s either. All sites should be equal and open,’’ he said.

Sky has drawn up an application for a ‘‘site blocking injunction’’ to the High Court in Auckland, under which it would name offending websites that it would then expect internet providers to block within 10 days of a request being made.

Spokeswoman Kirsty Way clarified it was draft injunction which it hoped to file with the court ‘‘shortly’’.

It had provided copies to the telecommunications companies ‘‘as a courtesy’’, she said. It would target websites ‘‘solely created to offer pirated content like Pirate Bay and Putlocker’’, she said.

‘‘This is not a complete list, but it will be a small number and we’d ask for an option to apply via the courts for additional sites as needed.’’

Hamilton said Sky was ‘‘essentially saying that they want the ability to censor any content at any time’’. That demand was ‘‘obviously bonkers’’, he said.

Vocus had never blocked any content, other than malware and internet traffic associated with ‘‘denial of service’’ attacks on websites, he said.

‘‘First of all we wouldn’t do it. Secondly, it is not practical.’’

Way objected to Hamilton’s comparison with North Korea, saying 42 countries, including Britain and Australia, had laws that enabled site-blocking requests.

‘‘If anything New Zealand is lagging behind in our legal protection for content creators and legitimate content businesses,’’ she said.

Sky was not taking it upon itself to make censorship calls, she said.

‘‘We are talking about websites that are designed for no other purpose than to illegally pirate content.’’