Greens' Copyright (Parody and Satire) bill to be debated in Parliament

Kahurangi Carter Photo: Kahurangi Carter

A law change to protect comedians, critics and artists who make memes and poke fun at others will be debated in Parliament.

The Green Party's Copyright (Parody and Satire) Amendment Bill was pulled from the ballot on Friday.

It will allow people to use a copyright work for parody or satire, such as memes.

Green Party MP Kahurangi Carter said Kiwis were known for their love of spoofs, parodies and dark humour.

"Satire is more than a joke - it's also a way of making sense of the world when sometimes it can feel dark and heavy," says Kahurangi Carter.

"It's a little ironic that we, a nation of quintessential dry-humour lovers, can't lampoon and parody with the rest of the world without risk of breaching copyright. And yes, that includes making proper memes.

"This Bill protects artists' right to freedom of speech, and in doing so helps protect our democracy."

Humour was essential to a thriving democracy, and parody and satire played a critical role in public discourse, she said.

"If it passes, big companies won't be able to sue artists for being cool and funny."

The law change would bring New Zealand in line with other countries, including Australia and the United States, she said.