Street demonstrations, netwide campaigns, unfavorable press attention and sustained lobbying have moved the New Zealand government to temporarily suspend its new copyright law, which would have required ISPs to terminate their customers' net access on the basis of three unsubstantiated accusations of infringement.

It remains to be seen whether the law is truly dead, but this is an amazing development:

In a surprise announcement this afternoon, prime minister John Key says the government will delay the implementation of the controversial Section 92a of the amended copyright law. Computerworld spoke to technologist Nat Torkington who attended Key's press conference this afternoon at 4pm. Torkington says the government may suspend the controversial S92a until the 27 March if no agreement is reached between the parties on how to implement it.



John Key delays copyright law

(Thanks, Hayden and everyone else who suggested this!)