An internet service provider is rejecting claims by major media companies that it is breaching copyright laws by allowing New Zealanders to access overseas digital content.
Photo: AFP
Sky Television, TVNZ, Mediaworks and Spark (which owns Lightbox) have threatened to take legal action against CallPlus, which operates the CallPlus Business, Slingshot, Orcon, Flip and 2talk brands, if it does not stop offering its customers Global Mode.
The service allows people to see content, such as the US version of on-demand television service Netflix, that would otherwise be blocked in New Zealand.
CallPlus chief executive Mark Callander said Global Mode was completely legal and if CallPlus did not offer it, other companies would.
He told Morning Report the service only enabled people to access the internet and the company was not breaking any copyright laws.
"It's not an ISP's role to determine what customers can and can't do on the internet," he said.
"We have a service. We encourage all users of that service to ensure they comply with the terms and conditions of anything they do on the internet, and that's up to them to decide what they want to do."
Mr Callander said the internet was changing business models, and media companies needed to adapt accordingly.
Listen to Kim Hill's interview with Mark Callander