Robert's Ramblings

Australian Federal Government Releases Copyright Whitepaper

The Government is aware some common personal uses of copyright material infringe copyright. Examples include transferring music from a CD onto an MP3 or iPod player or copying a television broadcast to view later. Those engaged in such uses do not believe they are or should be considered copyright pirates. Many observers believe copyright law should be reformed to reflect public attitudes and practices. Some interest groups feel a copyright balance might be better maintained in a rapidly changing digital environment if the Copyright Act were to include an open-ended ‘fair use’ exception that would allow the courts to determine whether a particular use of copyright material is ‘fair’ and should be lawful. Others argue the present specific exceptions in the Act should be amended to make certain uses of copyright material lawful.

In this "White Paper" the Federal Government is seeking submissions on ways of addressing these conflicting views and canvass options in this paper. In particular, they seek views on whether the Copyright Act should include more specific exceptions or a fair use exception which would facilitate the public’s access to copyright material. Submissions deadline is July 1st, 2005.

http://www.ag.gov.au/agd/WWW/agdhome.nsf/AllDocs/E63BC2D5203F2D29CA256FF8001584D7?OpenDocument