Australia welcomes American DMCA

As part of the free-trade agreement (that was signed today) between the United States and Australia, Australian government and the leading opposition party of the country have both accepted the fact that Australia now has to implement all the key proportions of the American DMCA legislation into its own national legislation.

This means that after Australia implements the required changes, selling, developing or distributing of tools that allow copy protection circumvention will become illegal. Open source DVD players for Linux? Illegal. DVD backup tools that circumvent CSS copy protection found on virtually all DVD movies? Illegal. Copying tracks to your iPod from a copy-protected CD that you legally own? Illegal.

The agreement also requires Australia to allow software patents -- patenting code has been so far impossible in Australia -- and requires Australia to extend the time that copyrights are valid.

More information:

News.com
Herald Sun

Written by: Petteri Pyyny @ 3 Aug 2004 15:23

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5 comments

Mick69

yet another step to americanizing my country .:sigh:.

4.8.2004 01:01 #1

Buik

Mick69,

As an American, I wish it had not happened. At least as far as the DMCA. I have no knowledge of the rest of what the agreement includes.

Hey, if it is any consolation, maybe you can own firearms again. Provided we Americanize Australia soon enough, in that respect.

Don't take me wrong. Australia has a culture of it's own. I appreciate that. Why would I want to visit Australia if it were only a mirror of the US? And the other way around.

Ever thought about being "Chinatized"?

I believe in the fair use doctrine. The DMCA runs counter to that. I can remember when "telephones" were the property of the phone company. And you were only allowed to use "one", unless you paid for another.

TC

4.8.2004 19:38 #2

TXtoucian

Australia (TM) already is a mirror of MS America. It's everywhere you look, even on your television set. So what's the point trying to resist it? Why not just have every electronic device hardwired into Redmond, and everything else branded twice over with images of Bush's big head?
In fact, I don't think that Australian creativity should be allowed at all, because it's evident that America produces enough of it, judging from these flambouyant laws that are bludgening their way out of the US.
I'm not proud to be Australian, because in saying that I am, all I'm really saying is that "I'm proud to be a part of Australia (Copyright(c) 2004, USA), and I worship the US Empire."

4.8.2004 23:33 #3

Mick69

Quote:As an American, I wish it had not happened. At least as far as the DMCA. I have no knowledge of the rest of what the agreement includes.dont worry we're getting the rough end of the stick theres alot less for OZ to gain from this agreement(funny how the US always seems to come out on top of these fair trade agreements, canada is a prime example of being f%$ked over on these kind of deals) but our PM has his head stuck so far up GW's arse that he cant see the light of day.
Quote:Hey, if it is any consolation, maybe you can own firearms againobviously urve never heard of martyn bryant (the massacre of 35 people which led the government to ban all automatic and semi-automatic weapons) but hey on the plus side if a new gun deal was to go thru there would be a hellava lot less japanese tourists hanging around(TX knows what im talkin bout ;))
Quote:Why would I want to visit Australia if it were only a mirror of the US? And the other way around.
its not that OZ is a mirror of the US we're not, in fact to tell you the truth, after recent events america and GW are considered dirty words =P, its just that as TX said TV(80-85% of the time its an american on our box), movies, radio, shit even the clothes im wearing are made in the US, my point being americanism's are so inescapable that people dont even notice anymore and dont care that american culture is slowing seeping into our own culture.
Quote:Chinatizedhey anythings better than americanized =P, i'd swap maccas and kfc for fried rice any day of the week =D
Quote:I'm not proud to be Australian, because in saying that I am, all I'm really saying is that "I'm proud to be a part of Australia (Copyright(c) 2004, USA), and I worship the US Empire".OI we're not the 51st state...........we'll not yet anyway =/, just give little jonny howard some more time, soon we'll all be singing god bless america while sitting on our fat bloated asses eating a french fried something or other, polishing our shotguns and figuring out which country to attack next, and all the while we're watching the monday night gridiron game. its gonna be good i cant wait................to kill myself lol =D

ok im done
THE END

5.8.2004 03:04 #4

vk4swc

Just another step in a direction I'm not happy about
after all my own industry was sold out too
(Sugar Cane) one day when we are importing all our food some will wake up or will they? I agree in Australia
we do have a culture of our own so lets keep it !

7.8.2004 02:50 #5

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