Senator raises downloading frustration

Labor senator Jacinta Collins freely admits to being a relatively frustrated consumer of online content.

And she was happy to share her frustration with representatives from the music, television and film industries, telling them at a Senate inquiry hearing on Friday there's not enough access to legal downloading sites.

The inquiry is examining new online copyright laws which will allow rights-holders to seek a court injunction forcing internet service providers to block access to piracy websites hosted overseas.

The changes are crucial, industry representatives argue.

Recalling her own experience, Senator Collins mentioned attempts to find more episodes of the TV show Rome.

Her daughter piped up and told her "Oh, I can pirate it for you", she told the hearing in Sydney.

"Just the complexity of finding another legal site and the time involved in downloading builds a level of frustration with the legitimate services," the senator said, noting politicians often have to find content at strange times and locations given their job.

Foxtel's Bruce Meagher conceded it was an issue and the pay-tv provider was working to make its content more accessible to consumers.

"There is a journey that we're on," he said.

"We're not there yet. But we're certainly doing everything we can to try and address those sorts of issues."

Senator Collins said there was a sense of entitlement, especially amongst young people, to online content.

Industry representatives pointed the inquiry to a site - digitialcontentguide.com.au - where safe and licensed content could be accessed.

Brett Cottle, from Music Rights Australia, told the inquiry the music industry had been waiting a long time for legislation in the face of a two-decade-long "assault" on their rights.

The 80,000 Australian songwriters and composers he represents had seen their livelihoods threatened and in many cases "decimated by the digital onslaught".

Senators were told the legislation was not a silver bullet and would need some tweaking but it was a necessary start.