Beating the piracy crackdown looks as simple as declaring yourself a home business, without any paperwork.

The clock is ticking on Australia's new three-strikes piracy crackdown, with public submissions on the draft code closing on March 23. While it leaves many unanswered questions, the code makes it very clear that it only applies to fixed-line residential customers, not to mobile internet connections or business internet users.

Australia's piracy crackdown is looking easier and easier to bypass Illustration: michaelmucci.com

The decision to exempt businesses from the code is perhaps a practical one to avoid the backlash from companies inundated with warnings due to the behaviour of employees and customers. Just cracking down on residential pirates would still be a huge win for the copyright police, after which they might turn their attention to businesses.

The current major loophole for business internet users bothers the backers of Dallas Buyers Club, who are currently dragging Australian ISP iiNet through the courts over the behaviour of its customers. Today the case was adjourned, with a verdict expected in three weeks, but before that the draft code was cited in court. While iiNet insisted that Australians ISPs would take the code seriously, lawyers for Dallas Buyers Club underplayed its importance – specifically pointing to the exemption for businesses.