New Zealand is a step closer to introducing a parody and satire exception for copyright infringement after the Copyright (Parody and Satire) Amendment Bill (Bill) passed its first reading in Parliament. 

What changes will the Bill introduce?

The Bill, if enacted, would amend the Copyright Act 1994 (Act) to introduce a copyright infringement exception for fair dealing with literary, artistic, dramatic and musical works for the purposes of parody or satire. This would give more ability for parties to use existing copyright works for satire and parody without the risk of being subject to infringement claims. However, the exception would only apply to “fair dealing” and therefore would not permit all forms of commercial uses.

As we previously discussed in our article Doing it for the LOLs: The Copyright (Parody and Satire) Amendment Bill, New Zealand’s copyright regime currently lacks a dedicated parody or satire exception, requiring copyright users to rely on narrower categories such as criticism, review, or news reporting. The Bill seeks to address this long‑standing gap and bring New Zealand more into line with the laws of other key trading partner jurisdictions.

Is the Bill likely to be enacted?

The Bill attracted broad cross‑party support, with all political parties in Parliament except New Zealand First endorsing the Bill’s progression to select committee. This suggests that the Bill is likely to be enacted, subject to the outcome of public submissions and consideration by the Social Services and Community Select Committee.

The New Zealand First party opposed the Bill on the basis that it did not address moral rights, including an author’s right under the Act to object to false attribution and derogatory treatment of their work.

The Act as a whole is also still under review by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, which raises the question whether the introduction of a parody and satire exception would be better considered within the context of the broader review of the Act.

Next steps

The Bill is now before the Social Services and Community Select Committee, which is due to report back by 1 October 2026. The deadline for making public submissions on the Bill ends on 19 May 2026.

If you have any questions about the Bill, or would like assistance preparing a submission, please get in touch with one of our experts.

Special thanks to James Burnett for his assistance in writing this article.