One internet user who faces penalties under the controversial "Skynet" law for pirating music has asked for a formal hearing in front of the Copyright Tribunal to decide their case.

A Justice Ministry spokesman confirmed that the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (Rianz) had now asked the tribunal to punish eight people who had received their third and final "enforcement" notices for pirating music, under the year-old regime.

Seven of the accused have asked the tribunal to consider their cases based only the paperwork. But the eighth had taken up their right to be heard in person by the six person tribunal, the spokesman said.

He did not believe a date had yet been set for the hearing. The tribunal can make awards of up to $15,000 in favour of rights holders though penalties of a few hundred dollars are expected to be more likely.

The first three internet users to face sanctions were all Telecom customers, but they had been joined by customers of TelstraClear and Slingshot, the spokesman said.

Internet providers won an important battle last month when ministers rejected calls to slash the $25 fee that movie and music firms must pay them to issue copyright infringement notices under the "three-strikes" regime.

There were forecasts a steep cut in the fees could trigger an avalanche of infringement notices and a big increase in the number of people hauled in front of the tribunal.

The New Zealand Federation Against Copyright Theft, which is owned by the United States Motion Picture Association, has said its members have refrained from using the "streamlined" justice regime to crack down on movie piracy because of the fees.

- Stuff

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