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Australia to Vote on Extending IP Laws

Posted by timothy on from the dunebuggies-and-helicopters dept.

femto writes "This coming week, the Australian parliament will be voting on whether to introduce software patents, a version of the DMCA and extensions to copyright. This is all part of chapter 17 of the US-AU Free Trade Agreement. The effects of the DMCA act will be worse than in the U.S., as Australia has narrower fair use provisions than the U.S. It is not too late to urgently write to your Member of Parliament or Senators to oppose the legislation."

12 comments

  1. Rolling Downhill by mtrisk · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Things aren't looking good for those opposed to software patents, although I for one am not familiar with that many computer companies based Down Under. And the article reports this as "free trade legislation"? I suppose if the developed world would stop allowing software patents, software development wouldn't be migrating towards Asia.

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    Ok, that was a very disjointed post. But you know what I mean.

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    Without a proper flamewar, Anonymous was undecided on what shell to run.
  2. Fair Trade? by BrookHarty · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Could someone explain why Freetrade has to have extended copyright provisions for other countries? Other than pure poltical reasons to enforce US corporate values, I don't see the need for Australia to give in for American interests.

    This reminds me when President Bush went to Canada to protest the use of medical marijuana. It would increase drug use! Pure propaganda.

    I'm sure they are saying if they don't extend copyright issues, it will increase Piracy, also...

    Amazing, I bet Australia passes every law written by American corporate interests. For Free Trades Sake (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

    1. Re:Fair Trade? by Alsee · · Score: 2, Informative

      The US is going around the world and all but threatening economic warfare under the title of Free Trade agreements. Sign our Free trade agreement, pass the laws we demand, or else you might wind up like Ukraine.

      Oh, and by the way, Ukraine got slapped with 100% punative duties on US imports. And why exactly did the US impose huge 100% punative duties? Because Ukraine declined to pass a law we demanded. And what law was that? A law making it criminal (jail-time) to manufacture ordinary blank CD's and DVD's unless they had serial numbers burned into them. Disks routinely sold to all sorts of legitimate publishing companies.

      You see, we need to fight piracy. Some people are buy ordinary blanks and then record infringing material on them. Fighting Piracy is a very reasonable demand, right? Riiiight... because we all know it's always obviously been CRIMINAL to manufacture blank media without serial numbers burned into them. Like it's always been criminal to do make blank floppy disks... oh wait... no... like blank audio cassettes! Yeah! it's always been illegal to make those without serial numbers! Oh wait... no... Video tapes! Ummm... noo.... actually it's never been criminal to manufacture any sort of blank media without serial numbers serial numbers before.

      Can you believe it? Refusing to pass a law imprisoning ordinary media manufacturers? It's almost like refusing to pass a law imprisoning child molesters! It is so obviously criminal, and Ukraine is so obviously harboring pirates (kinda like harboring terrorists), that it is obviously quite reasonable to declare economic warfare and double prices against such an obviously rouge nation.

      Not that that is relevant or anything.

      Aaaaanyway, back to US Free Trade agreements. Obviously countries are agreeing to US Free Trade treaties because they are all about free trade goodness, and eliminating trade barriers. Yep, these countries are signing US Free Trade treaties because they know what's good for them. Yep, if they don't sign these treaties then the US can't guarantee that, like, something bad wont happen to them. They might have, you know, some sort of trade accident, you know, like Ukriane's accident. We wouldn't wanna see your economy get disrupted. That would be a real shame.

      Of course things are a bit different when dealing with places like the EU or China. Places that could give the US a serious black eye for pulling that sort of stunt.

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    2. Re:Fair Trade? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Copyright VALUES!? huh? Do you know what the word means?

  3. Gotta Love it.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    I've got to say that as an Australian I do find this rather disturbing, however I'm not surprised... The government currently in office (including a certain slack-lipped little toadie sporting a unibrow) Have been playing to the US's tune for a long time, in alot of different political areas. Hasn't done us any favours with our immediate neighbours by any means.

    1. Re:Gotta Love it.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not surprised at all, a while ago in a demonstration there were models of our prime minister, John Howard, literally kissing George Bush's ass. Those models could be used to comment on the general behaviour of our government. John Howard always seems to be beaming whenever Bush pays him any attention. It should be a meeting of equals not a "my nuke is bigger than yours" meeting. Or as it is with howard "wow your nuke is so big!"

  4. Patent arguments? by iMacGuy · · Score: 1

    The major point in their "no patent" article seems to be that the USPTO is mismanaged. While it is, this isn't an argument against implementing software patents with a shorter expiration and better examination. I don't get the references to music either; it's completely different from software. There isn't anything you can reverse-engineer in music and reuse in your own songs without sounding like a ripoff.

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  5. Maybe I should by lachlan76 · · Score: 1

    It's things like this that make moving to the EU a very attractive option.

    Telling people that they are breaking the law to make something that can make a copy of a cd is pointless, since no matter what laws are made, we can always get files off of p2p networks, and even if they are shut down, then what can the government ddo? Ban CD Duplicators, which people mostly use to make legitimite cds, just so we can stop those few people who use them to make w4r3z?

    This is bringing Australia one step closer to banning all mathermatical research.

    If it wasn't for all my friends being over here, and the language barrier, I would probably go back to Italy, the greatest place I have ever been.

  6. No, you should not by Anonytroll · · Score: 1

    Seeing that the EU has in part already granted similar things (IP enforcement directive, EUCD) and is now close to getting software patents (I so hope that this can be avoided), I would say stay the hell away from here.

    BTW, I want out. ;(

  7. well, by grepistan · · Score: 1

    We went to war for this bloody free trade agreement and all its attachments, so it had better be worth it!

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    Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.
    -- Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
  8. Reports on the A-US FTA - 'Fair Use' amdts? by davaile · · Score: 2, Informative
    Free Trade Agt and IP followup:

    The Oz House of Reps (think Congress) passed enabling laws yesterday (not the agrement itself, which unlike the US will not face a vote in Oz). The Australian Senate will now vote on these enabling laws in mid-August, based on their final report which will come down around then.

    Several recent reports from parliamentary reviews which in part cover the Chapter 17 issues about intellectual property:

    See also this page for further references.