This Member's bill amends the Copyright Act 1994 to provide that fair dealing with a work does not infringe copyright if the purpose is parody or satire. It is still before Parliament.
A member's bill from Green MP Kahurangi Carter that would add an exception to the Copyright Act 1994 so that using someone else's work for parody or satire no longer counts as copyright infringement — provided it is 'fair dealing,' a limited, reasonable-use test rather than a blanket right. In plain terms, it would give clearer legal cover to memes, comedy sketches, remixes and political satire that borrow from songs, images or video.
Parody means imitating a work's style for comic effect; satire uses humour to criticise people, politics or society. It would bring New Zealand into line with Australia, the UK and the US, which already have such exceptions, and is at least the third attempt at this reform since 2011. Supporters say it protects free expression and shields smaller creators who can't afford legal fights; critics, including rights holders such as Recorded Music NZ, argue it strips rights from artists and that copyright is better handled through the Government's wider review.
See the Parliament.nz ↗ site for the full bill.