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Pay Attention To .Au/.Us IP Trade Law

Posted by Hemos on from the pay-attention-NOW dept.

Rusty Russell writes "The recent US-Australia "Free" Trade Agreement Chapter 17 (IP) locks Australia into our existing DMCA-style laws and extends them further: banning "access control" circumvention, extending copyright, guaranteeing penalties greater than actual damages for deliberate copyright infringement, committing us to recognising patents "whether a product or process, in all fields of technology", etc. Linux Australia has produced a draft position paper (rough HTML here), has a how to help page, and started a petition. Please help! " Rusty's a great guy - he's got some good links on his own page, but please take the time to do what you can - if you are a Australian, take the time to *physically* write your MP. Floods of post are what will create action.

6 of 279 comments (clear)

  1. Re:What do you expect from a bunch of ex-cons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    It should be obvious. Australia used to be a penal
    colony. The states simply consists of the rejects
    from the other countries of the world.

  2. Should be Govenor Howard by Slotty · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Firstly John howard needs to make our federal state become part of the union so he can not look like such a tool when he kisses GW's ass Secondly this whole IP thing has been around since the "free" trade agreement which is really just a relax all tarrifs on the US imports and open the crappy markets that no one uses anyway for Australia. My MP never seems to respond to my letters I think it's time to spread some propaganda like this free trade agreement means American companies can sue us millions for thinking up something that was our own idea but they put a patent on it. Watch the outcry then. All I need to do is mention evil US corporations and the public will go nuts. Better still I'll release it in mainly middle eastern populous areas they'll go bonkers. Or maybe university students they have a whinge about everything.

  3. Let me be the first Australian to say... by arch_helmet · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    We're truly sorry.
    ...you damn well oughta be. ;-)

    What's that you say? We should be free-thinking and make our own laws??

    I imagine our politicians would say we do, but their heads are too buried up Dubya's @#$% for them to say anything...
  4. Re:Howard is against DMCA by Davidge · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Yes but Howard will, like he has every other time, roll over and show Bush his belly.

    Let's face it, Australia's govt. is currently completely a pawn of the US Govt. and I'm not sure that changing to Labour would fix that (although it's got to be better than the current regime).

    --
    David de Groot Snr Systems Engineer
  5. was only a matter of time by watsondk · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    until we had this DMCA crap inflicted on us, given the total lack of a backbone by Johnny Howard, who is totally unable to say NO to Bush

    First its Wars that are none of our business, then comes this so called free trade treaty with its associated DMCA crap

    whats next, the "United States of Australia".....

  6. Fuck america by beredon · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    This makes me so God-damn fucking angry.

    Fuck Howard. Fuck Bush.

    I sure as hell don't want any of America's legal system pushed onto me and my way of life. We are already flooded with America's shit TV shows (even more so now thanks to the FTA) and bullshit, biased media (fair and balanced; wtf).

    When will it stop? Why does everyone have to assimilate with the US? Why can't different cultures exist together?

    Argh!