Draconian Anti-Piracy Law Looms Over Australia

ccozan writes to tell us of a law being rushed through the Australian legislature that would criminalize great swaths of the citizenry. The Internet Industry Association of Australia is posting warning scenarios spelling out how far-reaching this law would be. From the release: "A family who holds a birthday picnic in a place of public entertainment (for example, the grounds of a zoo) and sings 'Happy Birthday' in a manner that can be heard by others, risks an infringement notice carrying a fine of up to $1,320. If they make a video recording of the event, they risk a further fine for the possession of a device for the purpose of making an infringing copy of a song... The US Free Trade Agreement does not require Australia to go down this path, and neither US nor European law contain such far-reaching measures. We are at a total loss to understand how this policy has developed, who is behind it and why there is such haste in enacting it into law — with little if any public debate."

Comments

Not Yet!

[slarrg]

"Happy Birthday" doesn't enter the public domain until 2030

Fact and Fiction

[rueger]

A family who holds a birthday picnic in a place of public entertainment (for example, the grounds of a zoo) and sings 'Happy Birthday' in a manner that can be heard by others, risks an infringement notice carrying a fine of up to $1,320.

I highly doubt that the Australian government will criminalize birthday celebrations.

As is the case in most countries, the use of a song by a business or organization requires that it be licenced and royalties paid. That is hardly a new thing.

Similarly if that song is used in media production such as a video or film there are additional rights that must be obtained and paid for.

To suggest that families will be fined for making a video of themselves singing "Happy Birthday" is just absurd.

There are many, many grounds for fighting copyright changes, and many good cases to be made for reforming or repealing them.

Scare stories like this one just undermine the work being done by thoughtful people.

Re:Get ready, mate.

[werewolf1031]

Yes, but you usians have the option to shoot the lawyers when they come to serve you the subpoena.

I'll never quite understand this insistence of some /. users of refusing to refer to Americans as Americans, as if it's somehow insulting to residents of other countries in North or South America. There's no continent called simply "America", so anyone living in either of the continents in question would be either "North Americans" or "South Americans", obviously. Also, to the best of my knowledge (correct me if I'm wrong), there's only one country with the word "America" in the title. Canadians certainly don't call themselves Americans; I have a good friend who's Canadian, and if you called him American he would, quite understandably, look at you like you were retarded. I'm also willing to bet that if you referred to a Mexican as an American he'd probably be insulted. Many people have some pride and/or loyalty to their nations of origin; this generally does not exist for mere continental landmasses.