The Government has unveiled a package of proposed copyright law reforms aimed at strengthening protections for New Zealand creators while giving cultural institutions greater ability to preserve and share historic works.
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Cameron Brewer said the changes build on last week’s announcement extending copyright protection by 20 years, describing the reforms as a way to provide creators with stronger rights while ensuring important cultural material is not lost.
Under the proposals, not-for-profit museums, libraries, galleries and archives would be allowed greater flexibility to create digital copies of works in their collections for preservation purposes. The Government says the changes are intended to help institutions protect fragile material from deterioration and improve public access to collections that are currently restricted by existing copyright rules.
The reforms would also permit these institutions to use so-called orphan works — material whose copyright owners cannot be identified or contacted — provided a reasonable effort has been made to locate the rights holder. Any digital copies created under the new provisions would be restricted to non-commercial use.
The Government is also proposing measures to combat online piracy by introducing a clearer legal framework enabling courts to block overseas websites that unlawfully distribute copyrighted content. Copyright licensing organisations would be granted greater authority to take collective action on behalf of creators to prevent unauthorised use of their works.
Another significant change would affect commissioned works, such as photography. Under the proposal, creators would automatically become the first copyright owner unless an alternative arrangement is agreed, reversing the current default position and strengthening creators’ control over their work.
The package also includes stronger legal protections for digital technologies used by creators to safeguard their content online.
Looking ahead, Cabinet has asked Brewer to report back by 31 March 2027 on options for a copyright framework covering generative artificial intelligence. The Government said the issue remains complex, with different jurisdictions around the world adopting varying approaches to balancing innovation and copyright protection.
