ISPs will hand pirates over to the movie houses, potentially without a court fight, under Australia's proposed piracy code.

As of September 1, Australian internet service providers will be forced to send warning notices to alleged movie pirates, under a draft Copyright Notice Scheme industry code unveiled on Friday. Get caught three times in 12 months and rights holders can "facilitate an expedited preliminary discovery process" – in other words ask your ISP to hand over your details. While still going through the courts, it would bypassing a drawn-out courtroom drama like the current battle between Australian ISP iiNet and the backers of Academy Award-winning film Dallas Buyers Club.

iiNet has been ordered to hand over the identities and residential addresses of thousands of people who illegally downloaded Hollywood blockbuster 'Dallas Buyers Club', which stars Matthew McConaughey. Credit:Reuters

Your ISP still has the right to appeal this request, but the appeal is unlikely to be successful unless the rights holders haven't followed the process set down in the draft. To cite the draft agreement between ISPs and rights holders;

3.12.8 An ISP must act reasonably to facilitate and assist an application by a Rights Holders for Preliminary Discovery to the extent that such orders are sought: