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Net chief tips online piracy to fall

Changing patterns: iiNet chief executive David Buckingham. Picture: Sharon Smith/The West Australian

The chief executive of Perth internet provider iiNet expects the number of Australians visiting pirate websites to decline over the next few years, with the introduction of online streaming service Netflix - which stretched its network to the limit - highlighting Australia's thirst for "affordable and easily accessible" content.

In the six weeks after the March introduction of US TV streaming service Netflix, iiNet revealed there had been an "unprecedented" 25 per cent increase in internet traffic through its servers, which it originally forecast would come over "six to 12 months".

Chief executive David Buckingham said the six-week rush had now plateaued, indicating that after an initial binge, which may have been inflated by the "month-free" promotions for the streaming sites, online streaming had settled to more sustainable levels.

He said the explosion of internet traffic vindicated the company's stand on piracy in the wake of its unsuccessful legal push to keep owners of the Hollywood film Dallas Buyers Club from accessing its customers' personal information.

"It's choice," Mr Buckingham said.

"And all the stuff iiNet has been through on content copyright, here we are, here we are finally, and we've been proved right.

"I think it's great, suddenly there's available, affordable content to buy." Mr Buckingham said all internet providers had been overwhelmed by the huge uptake of online streaming services such as Netflix, Presto, which is co-owned by Seven West Media, owner of _The West Australian _, and Stan.

He said it was too early to tell if less traffic had flowed through torrent sites such as The Pirate Bay but the company would monitor the situation and expected the local market to follow the US trend.

"I'd like to think that (visiting torrent-hosting sites) will rapidly decline," he said. "We'll be tracking the percentage of the traffic flows over the next few months and years, and I'd expect it to fall.

"We don't know if it's dropped yet, and you need a period to monitor it. But torrenting has dropped significantly in the US over the last couple of years off the back of making more content available to consumers."

Iinet, which is being courted by two Eastern States companies in a billion-dollar-plus takeover battle, last week indicated it was working with a law firm to offer free legal advice to its clients accused of illegally downloading the Dallas Buyers Club film.

The letters due to be sent to the alleged pirates are being assessed by the Federal Court and are expected to be sent out about August.