Section 115A
25 Section 115A was introduced into the Act by the Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Act 2015 (Cth) ("the Amendment Act") with effect from 27 June 2015. The Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill 2015 was first introduced into the House of Representatives where it was amended before it came to be considered by the Senate. The explanatory memorandum tabled in the House of Representatives was revised to take account of those amendments. A revised explanatory memorandum to the Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill 2015 ("the Revised Explanatory Memorandum") was tabled in the Senate.
26 Section 115A, which is in Part V, Div 2 of the Act, provides:
115A Injunctions against carriage service providers providing access to online locations outside Australia
(1) The Federal Court of Australia may, on application by the owner of a copyright, grant an injunction referred to in subsection (2) if the Court is satisfied that:
(a) a carriage service provider provides access to an online location outside Australia; and
(b) the online location infringes, or facilitates an infringement of, the copyright; and
(c) the primary purpose of the online location is to infringe, or to facilitate the infringement of, copyright (whether or not in Australia).
(2) The injunction is to require the carriage service provider to take reasonable steps to disable access to the online location.
Parties
(3) The parties to an action under subsection (1) are:
(a) the owner of the copyright; and
(b) the carriage service provider; and
(c) the person who operates the online location if, but only if, that person makes an application to be joined as a party to the proceedings.
Service
(4) The owner of the copyright must notify:
(a) the carriage service provider; and
(b) the person who operates the online location;
of the making of an application under subsection (1), but the Court may dispense, on such terms as it sees fit, with the notice required to be sent under paragraph (b) if the Court is satisfied that the owner of the copyright is unable, despite reasonable efforts, to determine the identity or address of the person who operates the online location, or to send notices to that person.
Matters to be taken into account
(5) In determining whether to grant the injunction, the Court may take the following matters into account:
(a) the flagrancy of the infringement, or the flagrancy of the facilitation of the infringement, as referred to in paragraph (1)(c);
(b) whether the online location makes available or contains directories, indexes or categories of the means to infringe, or facilitate an infringement of, copyright;
(c) whether the owner or operator of the online location demonstrates a disregard for copyright generally;
(d) whether access to the online location has been disabled by orders from any court of another country or territory on the ground of or related to copyright infringement;
(e) whether disabling access to the online location is a proportionate response in the circumstances;
(f) the impact on any person, or class of persons, likely to be affected by the grant of the injunction;
(g) whether it is in the public interest to disable access to the online location;
(h) whether the owner of the copyright complied with subsection (4);
(i) any other remedies available under this Act;
(j) any other matter prescribed by the regulations;
(k) any other relevant matter.
Affidavit evidence
(6) For the purposes of the proceedings, section 134A (affidavit evidence) applies as if the reference in paragraph 134A(f) to a particular act included a reference to a class of acts.
Rescinding and varying injunctions
(7) The Court may:
(a) limit the duration of; or
(b) upon application, rescind or vary;
an injunction granted under this section.
(8) An application under subsection (7) may be made by:
(a) any of the persons referred to in subsection (3); or
(b) any other person prescribed by the regulations.
Costs
(9) The carriage service provider is not liable for any costs in relation to the proceedings unless the provider enters an appearance and takes part in the proceedings.
27 The term "online location" is not defined in the Act. According to the Revised Explanatory Memorandum (at [36]):
The term 'online location' is intentionally broad and includes, but is not limited to, a website, and would also accommodate future technologies.
28 The Revised Explanatory Memorandum also includes the following observations concerning the purpose of s 115A which is to reduce online copyright infringement:
1. The purpose of this Bill is to introduce a key reform to reduce online copyright infringement. The scheme is deliberately prescriptive; it is intended as a precise response to a specific concern raised by copyright owners.
2. The Bill amends the Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) to enable the owner of a copyright to apply to the Federal Court of Australia for an order requiring a Carriage Service Provider (CSP) to block access to an online location that has the primary purpose of infringing copyright or facilitating the infringement of copyright.
3. The Bill provides that copyright owners would be able to apply directly to the Federal Court for an injunction to disable access to an infringing online location, without having to first establish the CSP's liability for copyright infringement or authorisation of copyright infringement. This judicial process would be more efficient and avoid implicating CSPs unnecessarily.
29 The Revised Explanatory Memorandum also states at [6]-[7]:
6. The factors that the Court may take into account set an intentionally high threshold test for satisfaction by the Court. The purpose of the scheme is to allow a specific and targeted remedy to prevent those online locations which flagrantly disregard the rights of copyright owners from facilitating access to infringing copyright content.
7. The Bill contains a standalone injunction power which operates as a no-fault remedy. It would not affect existing laws on infringement, copyright exceptions or limitations, authorisation liability or any of the safe harbour conditions. Further, the Court granting an injunction would not create a presumption that the CSP has infringed copyright nor authorised the infringement of copyright.
30 It is important to note that s 115A provides for a "no fault" remedy against a CSP. In particular, the entitlement of an applicant for relief under s 115A does not depend upon it establishing that the CSP against which it seeks such relief has committed an infringement of copyright either by its own acts or by authorising the acts of another person.
31 If the applicant satisfies the Court that the CSP provides access to an online location outside Australia, that the primary purpose of the online location is to infringe, or facilitate the infringement of copyright, and that the online location infringes or facilitates the infringement of the applicant's copyright, then the conditions necessary to permit the Court to grant an injunction will be fulfilled.
32 It is not necessary for the applicant to establish any element of knowledge or intention on the part of a CSP for the applicant to obtain relief against it under s 115A. Although the CSP's knowledge might be relevant to the exercise of the Court's discretion in a particular case, the scheme of s 115A, as the Revised Explanatory Memorandum makes clear, is designed to avoid the kind of factual inquiries into matters of the kind undertaken in a proceeding taken against a CSP for copyright infringement based upon "authorisation": see Roadshow Films Pty Ltd v iiNet Ltd (2012) 248 CLR 42; Cooper v Universal Music Australia Pty Ltd (2006) 156 FCR 380.
33 The relief that may be granted under s 115A consists of an injunction against a CSP requiring it "to take reasonable steps to disable access to the online location." This is the sole relief provided for in s 115A(2) although it is also open to the Court to grant its injunction conditionally or by the imposition of terms requiring the applicant, for example, to indemnify (in whole or part) a CSP against whom the injunction is sought, or to provide security for a CSP's costs of complying with an injunction granted pursuant to s 115A. The Revised Explanatory Memorandum gives an example (at [42]) of an order requiring that an appropriate indemnity or undertaking be provided by a party who obtains an injunction under s 115A(2) of the Act.
34 There are also other statutory provisions found in the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) ("the Federal Court Act") that enable ancillary orders to be made including, generally, s 23 and, specifically with respect to costs, s 43. Section 23 of the Federal Court Act would enable the Court in a proceeding brought under s 115A to make other orders ancillary or incidental to any injunctive relief granted under that section. Section 43 of the Federal Court Act also confers on the Court power to award costs in all proceedings before the Court subject to some exceptions that are not relevant to proceedings under s 115A of the Act. However, s 43 must be read subject to s 115A(9) of the Act which provides, in substance, that a CSP is not liable for any costs in a proceeding under s 115A unless it enters an appearance and takes part in the proceeding.