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DMCA in Oz: Rusty a witness at FTA Senate Hearings

Posted by timothy on from the impressive-turnaround-time dept.

Mikey writes "The Australia Senate currently has a committee investigating the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the USA and Australia. The draft proposal for the FTA will bring DMCA style laws to Australia. Here is the public parliamentary record (the Hansard) from Monday's hearing. The witness list includes Linux Kernel hacker, Paul "Rusty" Russell and other interested parties. Rusty was well received and it seems we have some support from opposition (Labour and Democrat) Senators (FYI Oz currently has a Liberal government). We are getting there, but we need to keep fighting."

29 comments

  1. just to clear things up by onya · · Score: 4, Interesting

    here in australia a liberal government is conservative, and labor doesn't like being spelt labour.

    1. Re:just to clear things up by obeythefist · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Actually, here in Australia we use the Queens English, and that includes correct capitalisation, grammar, and spelling. By the way, it's spelled "spelled" not "spelt".

      Regarding the DMCA: Thanks a lot America. Thanks for the DMCA, thanks for Reality Television, and thanks for helping the parent spell so badly.

      --
      I am government man, come from the government. The government has sent me. -- G.I.R.
    2. Re:just to clear things up by i88i · · Score: 1

      Thanks a lot America. Thanks for the DMCA, thanks for Reality Television, and thanks for helping the parent spell so badly.

      For reality television & spelling, you can thank our own TV executives for that one. They choose the TV schedules, not the American government.

    3. Re:just to clear things up by spudgun · · Score: 1

      Welcome to the American Empire....

      America dictates laws for the whole world

      America wages war on the rest of world if tehy do not bow down to America

      America exports it culture (or lack thereof) to the rest of the world.

      The Romans tried the same thing, America Modeled it's government on the Roman Government.

      Rome was Brought down by, among other things, Corrupt Politicians. Now corperations and other powerful parties Buy polititions with campaign contributions THAT DO NOT HAVE TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR !!

      The passing of the law that allowed Politicans to hide how they spend money given to them and who gave it to them was the start of the downfall of America.

      What has it bought lately ?
      Copywrite extentions beyond 20 years ?
      DMCA ?
      PATRIOT [12] ?

      Don't Mod down , Reply, Dispute and Disprove !
      (And don't correct spelling , it's been a long day.....)

      --
      Type unto others as you would have them type unto you.
    4. Re:just to clear things up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      No, spelled is spelt spelt.

      Have you never heard of strong past tenses? Like bent, leant, blest, and so forth. The weaker versions have started to take over in some cases, but are by no means ubiquitous (at least, not here in the UK).

    5. Re:just to clear things up by Hard_Code · · Score: 1

      Hehe, I was just wondering about that. From the titles, it didn't seem the parties were all that "opposite".

      --

      It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
    6. Re:just to clear things up by ninejaguar · · Score: 1
      The passing of the law that allowed Politicans to hide how they spend money given to them and who gave it to them was the start of the downfall of America.

      Which law is that (name, bill number)? Are there laws that later dealt with this law by either making it more transaparent or less likely to be abused? Not disputing, just researching.

      = 9J =

    7. Re:just to clear things up by obeythefist · · Score: 1

      Except the root of the word is different, and so the past tense is also different.

      After you take a turn, you don't say "turnt" because that is incorrect. I don't make the rules, I just follow them.

      Blest isn't correct, it's blessed.
      Bent is appropriate because the root word is bend.
      The closest parallel would be to suggest that "spilt" is correct instead of "spilled". However a quick check of my local english dictionary informs me that "spilled" and "spelled" are the correct past tense spellings.

      This just serves as a very sad example where even people who purport to understand english are misled by the americans. (Misled, not mislet).

      --
      I am government man, come from the government. The government has sent me. -- G.I.R.
  2. Love the flip a coin approach by VoodooRay · · Score: 0

    Heads or tails, ok tails.

  3. An Open Letter by Piquan · · Score: 1

    Dear Austrailia,

    Please do not take any action that would result in DMCA-type laws being passed in Austrailia. I've always felt that I can move to Austrailia if things get too bad to stay here in America. I'd hate to see things get bad there too.

    Kindest regards,
    Piquan

  4. An article in the paper today about it by danpat · · Score: 2, Informative
    http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/19/10849 17619137.html
    Quick quote:

    The Australian parliament has to pass five or six pieces of enabling legislation, although the agreement itself will not be voted upon directly.

    Mr Vaile said he hoped to have those pieces of legislation passed during the July and August sittings of parliament.

    Both countries hope to have the deal operating from January 1 next year.

  5. good advocacy by waterbear · · Score: 2, Informative

    It looks as if Rusty Russell was allowed a good amount of time to give the Linux Australia position. The transcript of all the witnesses is a very long one. From my scan of it, he clearly used the opportunity well to make clear how potentially oppressive the results would be if Australia accepts the bilateral agreement with US. The agreement would not only put a DMCA-like law into effect in Australia: aspects of the result in Australia might be even harsher than in the US. Also, the agreement would seemingly bring a position where Australia would be exposed to trade sanctions if the Australian legislature ever had second thoughts in future and decided to relax aspects of the law resulting from the bilateral agreement.

    -wb-

  6. Speaking as an Australian... by leonbrooks · · Score: 1

    ..I'd like to ask if you could please fix the US justice system rather than depending on us as a lifeboat.

    While you're at it, shutting down the major US TV networks would be another good step forward, and would reduce the amount of utter drivel which escapes from there onto our own TV networks.

    I have a few other suggestions, too, but they can wait until you've set your own house in order, starting with no longer telling everyone else what to do, although I will admit that this one started with "please". (-:

    --
    Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing
    1. Re:Speaking as an Australian... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Aren't you responsible for Rupert Murdoch in the first place? :)

    2. Re:Speaking as an Australian... by Piquan · · Score: 1

      I'll see what I can do.

  7. Are Excessive Capitalisation Corrections OK? by leonbrooks · · Score: 1

    Just asking! (-:

    --
    Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing
  8. Yup. And Australia benefits how? by leonbrooks · · Score: 1

    We get exposed to large American markets... dominated by large American players who now have exposure to our Australian markets and who are quite happy to bully their way in and let the grey areas sort themselves out afterwards. We get to suborn our already inadequate legal system to the badly scrod US "sue at the drop of a hat" legal system. We probably get even more Americans trying to pick effective shades of red and yellow for our fast-"food" outlets to wear.

    Yay.

    --
    Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing
    1. Re:Yup. And Australia benefits how? by Alsee · · Score: 2, Funny

      We probably get even more Americans trying to pick effective shades of red and yellow for our fast-"food" outlets to wear.

      Yes. When you get those shades just right they actually cause people to eat more. One of many reasons this Free Trade Agreement is Good For Australia.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  9. New Zealand by Isomer · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I live in New Zealand. America got quite irritated with us not supporting them fully during the war with Iraq. They made it quite clear. Australia did, and got a Trade Agreement that New Zealand missed out on. Unfortunately Australia's trade agreement had these DMCA issues (amongst others), so really, New Zealand came out of this much better off.

    If America's going to treat it's friends like this, I think I'd prefer not to be in America's best buddies list.

    1. Re:New Zealand by Kernel+Kurtz · · Score: 1

      I guess thats why us Canadians are still allowed to legally download mp3s off the net.............

    2. Re:New Zealand by meringuoid · · Score: 1

      And why we in Britain aren't even allowed to rip CDs for private use.

      --
      Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
    3. Re:New Zealand by JohnFluxx · · Score: 1

      indeed. see my sig.
      (out of curiosity, did you find that out from my sig?)

    4. Re:New Zealand by CentrX · · Score: 1

      America is not an agent with a will or emotions, and the generalization is insulting. I don't see how "America" could get irritated with New Zealand. Possibly you mean the government, but that is also a flawed generalization, as the legislature did not pass any "statement of irritation with New Zealand". Instead, I think you mean as follows: "The relations between the Bush administration and the government of New Zealand indicated irritation by powerful members of the administration", but even that might be too powerful. etc. for other instances.

      --

      "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." - Thomas Jefferson
  10. "liberal" == conservative by motown · · Score: 1

    "Rusty was well received and it seems we have some support from opposition (Labour and Democrat) Senators (FYI Oz currently has a Liberal government)."

    For the American readers:

    In many European countries, many conservative parties label themselves as "liberal", in order to deceive the voters. Apparently, it's the same in Australia.

    The Howard administration "liberal"? Ha!

    --
    "Oooh, does that mean we get to kick some puffy white mad zionist butt?"
    1. Re:"liberal" == conservative by femto · · Score: 2, Informative
      In Australia, 'liberals' claim to stand for 'personal liberties' over 'collective welfare'. That is, they are for individuals getting ahead, even if it is at the expense of others.

      'Labour' claims to stand for 'we are all in this together', so we will advance together. This may include taxes and welfare to keep the rear of the pack closer to the head.

      As such, talk of 'conservative' and 'radical' is unrelated to the stated aim of each party. Either party can be seen as 'radical' or 'conservative' depending on the measures they take to achieve their objectives.

      In practise, the actual aims of each party have wandered over the years. A cynic would say that both parties have moved to the aim of preserving the two party system and resulting trough of benefits for politicians, parties and their mates (the big end of town). They have convinced themselves that such an arrangement is to the benefit of Australia, the only problem being that they are so cloistered that they (unknowingly?) equate their circle of friends with Australia. (Eg. politicians no longer mix with the unwashed masses due to 'security' concerns, and the rise of the career politician.)

      The current government has also lost sight of its 'liberal' roots in that it has removed things such as the right to a trial (David Hicks) and introduced laws allowing people to be detained without charge and made it illegal to protest when detained in such a manner. I guess they are confortable with replacing objective courts with subjective 'gut feelings' because their 'mates' are on the inside and so safe from subjective judgements.

  11. Don't forget the Greens by kieronb · · Score: 2, Informative

    The Greens are a real political force in Australia.

    They hold the balance of power in the Senate, along with the Democrats and a few "swinging independants". The Greens will not be supporting the FTA, and in particular any DMCA-like provisions.

    [Disclaimer: I'm a member and contributed to the Greens IT policy currently under development.]

    1. Re:Don't forget the Greens by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is great news!! I didn't mention the Greens in my post as they weren't in the Senate FTA committee.

      Mikey

  12. "Conservative" not "conservative" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Australia's so-called "Liberal" party is "Conservative" with a capital "C", that is, they are nothing to do with conserving anything, but actually follow the "radical capitalist" line, big business must win at the expense of everyone else.

  13. Not really... by leonbrooks · · Score: 1

    ...but we are responsible for Alan Bond and a few others.

    --
    Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing