Questions are being asked about whether Parliament is at risk of having its internet connection cut off when the new Skynet law comes into force.

The Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Act comes into force from September 1. But, from tomorrow, breaches start counting towards the three strikes regime - although infringement notices could not be issued until next month.

Green MP Gareth Hughes wrote to Parliament's speaker Lockwood Smith, who was responsible to Parliamentary Services, and asked how it would deal with infringement notices, which could be incurred by its hundred of users.

"There doesn't seem to be a plan for Parliament to deal with the new copyright law," Hughes said.

"This law could bring the gears of government to a grinding halt because the holder of the account - Parliamentary Services - provides internet access to hundreds of users anyone of whom could cause infringement notices to be sent."

Smith did not respond to his questions in Parliament today.

Hughes said he believed the Government did not do enough to educate organisations who held internet accounts which had a number of users.



"Like Parliament, schools, libraries and universities run the risk of fines or disconnection. Unitec in Auckland has even said they might cease providing internet services for students due to possible copyright liability.''

Under the Act, internet service providers would send warning notices to customers informing them they may have breached copyright. If offending persisted the case would proceed to the Copyright Tribunal.



The law controversially allowed district courts to suspend an internet account for up to six months. But that element of the legislation would only be brought into force if the commerce minister considered the three strike system not to be working. A review would take place in 2013.



Today at Parliament, Green MP Gareth Hughes quizzed Commerce Minister Simon Power on what steps the Government had taken to prepare the public for the legislation.



Power said MED would publish an information pack on their website next week. "There is no surprise what is going to emerge on 1 September."

The law was widely ridiculed when National rushed it through Parliament under urgency, earning the nickname "Skynet" after a gaffe by New Plymouth MP Jonathan Young, in which he compared the internet to the fictional supercomputer villain of the Terminator film franchise.