Law Enforcement Support
How can AFACT assist law enforcement agencies?
Australia’s laws and international treaties exist to stop people from stealing valuable copyrighted material.
Whether you stream or file-share a movie or TV show from an unauthorised source or sell illegal DVDs on the street, you are stealing someone else’s property and your actions carry legal consequences.
AFACT and its member companies employ a multi-pronged approach to fighting copyright theft that includes educating people about the consequences of film and TV theft, preventing the illegal file-sharing and streaming of movies and TV shows on the internet, assisting in the investigation and prosecution of commercial-scale content theft operations, and cooperating with law enforcement authorities around Australia.
AFACT works closely with the police and can assist with investigation and prosecution in a number of ways:
- The provision of comprehensive evidential briefs containing investigative statements, surveillance footage, copyright certification, recommendation on charges
- Drafting of Commonwealth 3E search warrants
- Assistance during executing search warrants (including logistic support)
- Provision of secure facility for storage of any seized material
- Expert examination of items seized
- Advising on elements of proof for alleged infringements
- Review of indictments
- Full provision of copyright and trade mark certificates
- Provision of expert witness statements
- Attendance at court hearings to assist police, prosecutor and the courts
- Provision of parity sentencing material, and destruction of seized material following finalisation of the proceedings (section 133 of the Copyright Act refers)
Relevant Links:
Copyright Act 1968
Copyright Regulations 1969
Copyright (International Protection) Regulations 1969
Commonwealth Crimes Act 1914
Commonwealth Criminal Code Act 1995
Classification and Law Enforcement
State and Territory Classification legislation
