A group of Australian film, music and television producers have told a Senate inquiry into copyright legislation that they have been battling an assault on their intellectual property for two decades.

The group is backing proposed legislation which would allow them to ask a court to block websites that are using pirated content.

The industry representatives urged the Federal Government to clamp down on illegal downloaders.

Brett Cottle from the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) said musicians and artists had been bled dry by pirates.

"Australia's creative industries - and the tens of thousands of writers who underpin those industries - have been waiting for a very long time for an expression by the Australian Parliament of support and respect for their work, and their place in the life of the nation, in the face of a two-decade long assault on their rights by way of digital piracy," he said.

The Senate inquiry is hearing submissions about a proposed amendment to the Copyright Act, which would allow rights holders to seek an injunction in the Federal Court and block access to websites with pirated content.

Mr Cottle dismissed concerns technologically savvy internet pirates would be able to get around the injunctions.

"We know that there is no silver bullet, but what it will do is to create a practical and feasible means by which to address the problem," he said.

"It will give to creative industries, at least, a means to fight back.

"It will assist in changing the behaviour of Australian consumers, and most importantly, it will send a powerful, practical and symbolic message to the artists and creators of Australia."

Site-blocking laws in place overseas

Christopher Chard from Village Roadshow Films said site-blocking laws were already in place in 39 countries and the legislation was long overdue in Australia.

Popular HBO TV series Game of Thrones set a new record for piracy last year. ( HBO )

He told the inquiry that one piracy site in the United Kingdom had an 84 per cent decline in traffic after a injunction was placed on it.

"Although some users in the UK continued to engage in illegal downloading by using dedicated and multi-site proxies, including VPNs (virtual private network), to circumvent court orders, the traffic was insignificant when compared to the overall decline in traffic to the blocked piracy site," Mr Chard said.

He hit back at criticism that site-blocking legislation could cause the internet to grind to a halt.

"Site-blocking injunctions do not break the internet, as it has sometimes been argued," Mr Chard said.

"In the UK over the last four years, the courts have ordered 125 piracy websites to be blocked and I've just returned from the UK and the internet was working just fine."

Foxtel's Bruce Meagher told the inquiry that rights holders were doing their bit to stem the tide of internet piracy.

The inquiry heard Foxtel released content in Australia at the same time as it was released in the United States and that the cost of accessing this content had been reduced.

Mr Meagher said it was time the Australian Parliament did its bit to clamp down on piracy.

"Research indicates that many people believe that piracy is OK, because if it were not, the Government could pass a law or do something to try and stop it," he said.

"This is just such a law and it will, of itself, have an educative effect."

Bill 'would not infringe on freedom of information'

The inquiry will hear evidence from groups opposed to the legislation later on Friday.

In its written submission, the Internet Society of Australia said there was a risk the bill could block access to legitimate websites.

The society was also worried the bill would infringe on the rights of web users to enjoy a free and open internet.

But communications law expert Professor Michael Fraser, from the University of Technology Sydney, said that was simply not true.

"It is not an infringement of freedom of information," he said.

"This material is available through lawful, legal channels, either where an author makes it available for free, or through their commercial sites.

"This is to stop criminal activity and organised infringing activity that circumvents and destroys the market for creative content."