Less than a week after we first took a look at New Zealand’s “three strikes” mandate and the resulting public outcry, we’ve got some good news to report. New Zealand’s prime minister, John Key, has announced that the government will delay implementation of section 92a of the amended copyright act until March 27th, if no agreement is reached as to how the law should be enforced. If no agreement has been reached by that date, the law will be suspended. If an agreement is reached by the 27th, the government will still monitor the first six months of the program before deciding how best to proceed.
While the law has merely been deferred and not repealed, this still represents a major victory for the Blackout N.Z campaign, as well as everyone else who voiced their opinion against this mandate. Key’s announcement serves as proof positive that public opinion can prove extremely effective when opposing widely unpopular mandates and should not be underestimated. Here’s hoping that Blackout and their allies keep the pressure on and that a decisive victory for Internet users down under is on the horizon.