Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Copyright Extension In Australia

Posted by Hemos on from the spanning-the-years dept.

femto writes "The Motion Picture Association and APRA have commissioned a report from Allen Consulting into the effects of extending Australian copyright from life+50 years to life+70years. This forms the MPA and APRA's contribution to US-Australian free trade negotiations, currently underway. The report recommends that copyright terms should be extended. An extension of copyright would not be in Australia's interest. Some would argue that it is not in anyone's interest. Projects such as Project Gutenberg of Australia would be adversely affected by such an extension. Perhaps now is to time to write to your Member of Parliament, asking them to oppose any extension of copyright or patents, and shore up whatever resistance there is to an extension of IP in Australia?"

4 of 258 comments (clear)

  1. |"Intellectual property" in Australia? by heironymouscoward · · Score: 0, Troll

    This is surely not a major issue... IIRC the only instances of known IP in Australia is "Waltzing Matilda" and "Crocodile Dundee", and the latter was really done in the US.

    Oh, right, TV soaps...! and beer...? :-) Sorry, mate!

    --
    Ceci n'est pas une signature
  2. Don't bother. by CosmeticLobotamy · · Score: 0, Troll

    Nobody cares what we geeks think.

    But I'm begging someone to please prove me wrong.

  3. Member of Parliament? by geoffspear · · Score: 0, Troll

    I don't have an MP, you insensitive clod! I'm an American!

    --
    Don't blame me; I'm never given mod points.
  4. Re:commercialisation over the greater good by screenrc · · Score: 0, Troll
    How many years into the future is not the
    real issue. Who knows what will happen between
    now and year 2150; it could be repealed at any time
    before we this year is reached. It bet it easily
    could, and besides we are probably talking seveal
    World Wars between now and then. Lots of things
    can happen, not to mention that we will no longer
    be alive for our genaration to worry.


    The big issue whether the IP silliness becomes retroactiove.
    This is the main issue.


    As a compromise, I suggest that Disney and Motion
    Pictures get all the IP the want (there product
    is crap anyway, who really desires them?) and
    just abolish all copyrights on books and everywhere else.