The "Skynet" law appears to be encouraging some internet users to stop accessing entertainment through peer-to-peer file sharing services, but the fall off in patronage has not been as marked as that which followed some crackdowns overseas.

Orcon chief executive Scott Bartlett said the internet provider had experienced about a 10 per cent drop in customers downloading files over peer-to-peer file sharing networks since the anti-piracy law took effect on Thursday, suggesting some customers were modifying their behaviour for fear of being fined.

Bartlett said he had been told by other internet providers that they had seen a bigger drop in traffic and said the new law was definitely having an effect, however the country's two largest internet providers were less certain.

TelstraClear spokesman Gary Bowering said it saw international traffic decline about the time the controversial regime came into force but it couldn't say for certain if the two events were related. "In broad terms, the recent change is noticeable but not major."

Telecom spokeswoman Anna Skerten said it had seen no discernible impact. While there had been "a few dips", these were within the bounds of normal fluctuations in traffic, she said.

In 2009, the BBC reported that Sweden experienced a one-third drop in total internet traffic after it forced internet providers to reveal the identities of illegal file-shares to right holders for the first time.

Telecom, TelstraClear and Orcon have not received any requests from rights holders that they send infringement notices to customers under New Zealand's "three-strikes" regime, but Bartlett said he was definitely expecting some and believed the first would come through in about a week.

He would not disclose his sources, but indicated Orcon had been in contact with organisations representing rights holders to discuss the smooth implementation of the regime, under which internet users can be brought in front of the Copyright Tribunal and fined up to $15,000 if they are detected three times accessing pirated material.

Skerten said Telecom was also in discussions in rights holders group to "get more of a handle from them as to what we can expect".

Southern Cross Cable marketing director Ross Pfeffer said it had no way of monitoring the overall volume of internet traffic to and from the country.