Copyright law is being used to hide alleged animal abuse. Here’s what’s at stake

The Conversation · 🇦🇺 public Australia · May 04, 2026 · 976 words · By Lev Bromberg; Serrin Rutledge-Prior

Intellectual Property Law Animal Welfare Press Freedom and Transparency

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What to know about Intellectual Property Law

The article discusses a legal battle between Farm Transparency Project and The Game Meats Company of Australia over the copyright of covertly recorded footage of a slaughterhouse. It examines the High Court's role in determining whether illegal trespassing disqualifies the activists from owning the copyright and the broader implications for press freedom and animal welfare transparency.

Propaganda risk 40%

Claims checked 11

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center86%

Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Over the decades, journalists and activist groups have revealed horrendous animal cruelty using covert recordings.

Why it matters

A 2011 Four Corners investigation of abuse of Australian cattle in Indonesia is among the most well-known examples.

Common ground

Many attempts to record agricultural operations have involved activists breaking the law to do it.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Black-and-White Fallacy, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Intellectual Property Law story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that A 2011 Four Corners investigation of abuse of Australian cattle in Indonesia is among the most well-known examples?
How does this story connect Intellectual Property Law with Animal Welfare over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/copyright-law-is-being-used-to-hide-alleged-animal-a…

analyticsAnalysis

40%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 90%

Moderate concerns. Notable use of persuasive or loaded language.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Black-and-White Fallacy 80% confidence

Presenting only two options when more exist.

Why it matters: Recognizing black-and-white fallacy helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified By Reference 1

schedule Pending 1

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Claim 1: “A 2011 Four Corners investigation of abuse of Australian cattle in Indonesia is among the most well-known examples.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the 2011 Four Corners investigation into cattle abuse in Indonesia, specifically mentioning the episode 'A Bloody Business' broadcast on May 30, 2011.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Australia and Indonesia have established diplomatic relations since 27 December 1949, when Australia recognised Indonesia's independence. The relationship has been characterised by growing mutual tra…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia–Indonesia_relations

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Four Corners is an Australian investigative journalism and current affairs documentary television program. Broadcast on ABC TV, it premiered on 19 August 1961 and is the longest-running Australian tel…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Corners_(Australian_TV_pr…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Four Corners is a region in the southwestern United States where the corners of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona meet. Four Corners or 4 Corners may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Corners_(disambiguation)

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 2: “In 2021, the organisation challenged New South Wales’ Surveillance Devices Act, arguing that it impermissibly infringed on the freedom of political communication recognised in the Australian Constitution. It was unsuccessful.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia explicitly confirms the case 'Farm Transparency International v New South Wales' where the High Court held that sections of the Surveillance Devices Act 2007 did not impermissibly burden freedom of political communication.

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web search NEUTRAL — Animal rights activists have told the high court NSW laws criminalising the use of secretly recorded footage of animal abuse are ‘too great a burden on speech’. Photograph: Caroline Duncan Photography…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/26/nsw-laws-crimi…

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web search NEUTRAL — Farm Transparency Project executive director Chris Delforce. Photo credit Kate Hannah Photography. Firstly, you’ve launched a High Court challenge to the constitutional validity of the offences contai…
https://www.farmtransparency.org/news/254-high-court-challen…

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web search NEUTRAL — Farm Transparency Project has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds in its legal fight, which ultimately seeks to scrap parts of the Surveillance Devices Act or amend it. New South Wales Att…
https://tntribune.com/animal-cruelty-focus-in-australian-hig…

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Claim 3: “In 2024, several Farm Transparency employees gained access to a Victorian slaughterhouse operated by the Game Meats Company on seven occasions.”

CORROBORATED

The Guardian and other reports confirm that Game Meats Company is suing FTP over footage obtained during seven alleged trespasses at their Eurobin, Victoria slaughterhouse in 2024.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — PrJSC MHP (Ukrainian: ПрАТ МХП; PrJSC «MHP») is a Ukrainian food and agritech company, employing over 32,000 people in Ukraine and abroad, MHP is ranked among the top 10 employers in Ukraine, accordin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PrJSC_MHP

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — San Miguel Corporation (Tagalog pronunciation: [sɐn mɪˈɡɛl]), abbreviated as SMC, is a Philippine multinational conglomerate with headquarters in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. The company is one of the l…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Miguel_Corporation

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Whole Foods Market, Inc. (colloquially referred to as simply Whole Foods) is an American multinational supermarket chain headquartered in Austin, Texas, owned wholly by Amazon, and which generally sel…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_Foods_Market

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “Three Federal Court judges found copyright of the footage and film should be assigned to Game Meats via a trust because of the circumstances in which the footage was obtained.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that three Federal Court judges ruled that the copyright of the footage should be assigned to Game Meats via a constructive trust.

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web search NEUTRAL — Three Federal Court judges found copyright of the footage and film should be assigned to Game Meats via a trust because of the circumstances in which the footage was obtained.
https://theconversation.com/copyright-law-is-being-used-to-h…

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web search NEUTRAL — In 2026, Farm Transparency Project will be heading to the High Court to defend the public's right to know about animal cruelty.
https://www.farmtransparency.org/campaigns/right-know-game-m…

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web search NEUTRAL — Game meats v Farm Transparency. Centre for Media Transition.In effect it requires a constructive trust until the assignment in writing is made. This means that any third party seeking to publish the m…
https://www.uts.edu.au/news/2025/08/game-meats-v-farm-transp…

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Claim 5: “These trespasses involved the installation of cameras in the ceilings of Game Meats Company’s goat slaughter sites.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that FTP installed cameras at the Game Meats Company slaughterhouse in Eurobin, uncovering the slaughter of goats.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Girls' Frontline 2: Exilium is a turn-based tactical strategy game developed by MICA Team, in which players command squads of android characters, known in-universe as T-Dolls, armed with firearms and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girls'_Frontline_2:_Exilium

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+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 6: “In 2023, Farm Transparency’s covert filming of pigs being suffocated to death with carbon dioxide gas formed the basis of a high-profile media report, and sparked another parliamentary inquiry into pig welfare in Victoria.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 7: “The activities of Farm Transparency’s predecessor, “Aussie Farms”, were a key driver for a Victorian parliamentary inquiry into the potential impacts of animal activism on the state’s agriculture industries.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding 'Aussie Farms' or a Victorian parliamentary inquiry linked to them.

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Claim 8: “In the case, Farm Transparency International v The Game Meats Company of Australia, the court will consider whether the activists’ illegal conduct disqualifies the future use and release of the footage.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources confirm the High Court case 'Farm Transparency International v The Game Meats Company of Australia' and that the court is considering whether illegal conduct affects the use of the footage.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A bailiff is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. There are different kinds, and their offices and scope of duties vary. Anothe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailiff

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Carlingford () is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Carlingford is 22 kilometres (14 mi) north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlingford,_New_South_Wales

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Farm Transparency International v New South Wales (Farm Transparency) was a case heard by the High Court of Australia, which held that sections 11 and 12 of the Surveillance Devices Act 2007 of New So…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farm_Transparency_Internationa…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 9: “Founded in 2014, the Australian animal advocacy organisation, Farm Transparency Project, seeks to “force industry transparency and educate consumers” about routine operations in the animal agriculture industry.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the Farm Transparency Project was founded in 2014 and its mission to force industry transparency and educate consumers.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Amy Mathews (born 29 March 1979) is an Australian television, film and theatre actress. She is best known for her role as Rachel Armstrong in Australian soap opera Home and Away.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Mathews

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Meat & Livestock Australia (M&LA) is an independent company which regulates standards for meat and livestock management in Australian and international markets. Headquartered in North Sydney, Australi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat_&_Livestock_Australia

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 10: “The organisation produced the 2018 award-winning documentary, Dominion.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results linking the Farm Transparency Project to the production of the documentary 'Dominion'.

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Claim 11: “The Human Rights Law Centre and the Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom are making advisory submissions as “friends of the court”.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that the Human Rights Law Centre and the Alliance for Journalists' Freedom applied to participate as 'friends of the court' (amicus curiae).

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web search NEUTRAL — The Human Rights Law Centre and the Alliance for Journalists' Freedom have applied to participate in an important High Court case as a friend of the court, to raise public interest concerns relating t…
https://www.farmtransparency.org/news/598-centre-alliance-ap…

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web search NEUTRAL — The Human Rights Law Centre and the Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom are making advisory submissions as “friends of the court”. Both groups are concerned about how the High Court decision may impact …
https://theconversation.com/copyright-law-is-being-used-to-h…

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web search NEUTRAL — Guardian Australia can reveal that the concerns about the ruling are so significant that the Human Rights Law Centre and the Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom have intervened in the high court proceed…
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/apr/07/peter-greste-c…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.