Pro-DRM Law May Be Coming To Australia

paxmaniac writes, "The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the Australian Federal Government will soon introduce laws making it illegal to circumvent copy control 'technological prevention measures' (or TPMs). The laws will make it illegal to modchip a console, to hack a DVD player to make it multi-region, to install DVD decoders on your PC, or to circumvent DRM in any other way. From the article: 'Anyone found to have used technology to circumvent copy control TPMs will face fines of up to $6600, while those guilty of distributing enabling devices and services to others through a variety of means face imprisonment for up to five years and possible fines of $60,500.' Australia is obliged to introduce these laws as part of it's Free Trade Agreement with the USA. Gee thanks, George!"

Comments

Australia's come a long way since the 1970s

[joe_n_bloe]

Time was you could immigrate to Australia. Time was you could own a firearm there. However stupid and reactionary you think the USA is, Australia has only itself to blame for its protectionism and inexorably diminishing personal liberty.

My $.02 anyway.

Re:FTA

[bman08]

First of all, fuck you for being the 'love it or leave it type'. You don't like listening to people like him, then you can go to China or anywhere else free speech isn't tolerated. Americans are allowed to hate anything about their country that they choose and are allowed to seek change any legal way they want; including by complain on slashdot.

Secondly, the point of the post is that the US and EU are muscling every nation into these kind of copyright regulations. So, leaving it, is becoming increasingly less of an option.

Re:FTA

[giorgiofr]

So basically you're saying that they want to be helped but not pay the price. Oh well, it figures.