Revised copyright bill still a deep disappointment to internet users

Peter Yu says disagreements aside, anti-piracy protection is needed

The works of internet users were displayed during a protest in 2012 over the copyright bill. Photo: David Wong

The government is due to introduce into the Legislative Council on Wednesday a new copyright amendment bill. In addition to reviving the less controversial aspects of the old bill, which was shelved in 2012 following widespread opposition, this new bill will introduce fair dealing exceptions for parody, satire, caricature, pastiche, quotation and comment on current events.

Although the present bill has struck a more appropriate balance than its predecessor, internet users remain deeply disappointed. Their reaction is understandable, considering that the government has declined to introduce a broad exception for non-commercial or non-profit-making user-generated content. This exception was supported by more than 97 per cent of the public comments received in the last consultation.

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