Australia Backs Down on Draconian Copyright Laws

AcidAUS writes "The widely-publicized reforms to Australian copyright — which would turn iPod, camera phone and DVD recorder owners into criminals — have been significantly amended. The amendment bill was passed this past Friday, after the changes were put into place. The Labor and Green parties still have problems with the bill as it exists, but the Labor party (at least) wants to let it go based on the fact that it is 'a million times' better than the original proposed legislation." From the article: "Following an outcry by industry bodies and the public, [Attorney-General Philip] Ruddock amended the bill. 'The Government has listened to the Senate Committee and stakeholders and has improved the effectiveness of the reforms,' Mr Ruddock said in a statement. 'The amended reforms make it clear consumers can transfer the music they own onto devices such as iPods and enable the next wave of technology by allowing people to record a TV or radio program on mobile devices to watch it at a more convenient time.' The amendments also removed on-the-spot fines for some copyright offenses, to ensure they didn't 'unintentionally capture harmless activities of ordinary Australians'."

Comments

So the original authors get what they want!

[Spazntwich]

Ask for something insane. "Compromise" down to what you wanted in the first place. Everyone is happy.

Good God, some strategies are so old and obvious I'd be amazed that they still work if I didn't know most people are idiots.

Idiots were duped by "engineering expectations"

[plasmacutter]

so it was "a million times better"..

Oh.. I don't mind you repeatedly punching my face.. that's a million times better than disembowling me!

stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid STUPID people!

Ah, Daddy I want a pony

[tkrotchko]

This is a pretty common thing to do. We call it "Daddy I want a Pony".

Here's how it works:

Kid: Daddy, I want a pony
Dad: Honey, be reasonable. A pony requires land, a stable, and constant care!
Kid: But Daddy, I want a pony!
Dad: It would cost thousands of dollars, we can't afford it, you don't know if you like horses.
Kid: (crying) BUT DADDY, I WANT A PONY!
Dad: Uh uh uh... How about a dog instead?
Kid: (crying stops) Oh okay, I can settle for that.

So dad thinks "Phew! That was close, I almost had to buy a pony" ... ...and the kid thinks "Easiest way to get a dog!"

You see this with taxes all the time. They threaten to tax everything... cars, boats, children, blades of grass, pimples on your chin. And then they "settle" for raising income tax another few points. And then you're supposed to feel "relieved".

Boy, that's some mighty hot water...

[Overzeetop]

...could you turn the temperature down just a bit so I can get used to it before you make it any hotter.

Thanks,
Kermit

Smoke and mirrors

[sterno]

This sounds a lot like a deliberate strategy. Put out a proposal that's totally extreme and ridiculous to freak people out. Then when they reject it out of hand you come back with what you really wanted in the first place and it'll pass without dispute. Given labor's reaction, it looks like it worked.

Favourite Quote

[15Bit]

"These new provisions have the potential to make everyday Australians in homes and businesses across the country into criminals on a scale that we have not witnessed before."

Now come on guys, that just not true - only 200 hundred years ago you were ALL criminals....

Here they're more subtle.

[Kadin2048]

In the U.S., the pro-copyright lobby hasn't been quite so audacious as they were trying to be in Australia; here they've been more subtle, and thus have avoided much public controversy. Via the DMCA, they made it illegal to upload DVDs or next-generation audio formats to an iPod (unless you've re-purchased it specifically), and created an artificial distinction completely without precedent between works protected by DRM, and unprotected works. Then they got Congress to extend the term of Copyright, to prevent any of their generations-old horde of cultural IP from leaking out into the public domain.

The U.S. and Australia have much the same disease, it's just that they seem to have gotten hit with a more virulent form, and thus noticed it; here we seem to have the creeping, cancerlike version, and for the most part are still ignoring it and hoping it'll go away.

Re:Penal Colony Law II

[mcsporran]

<Pedant>

The Koala, is not a bear, and is not called a bear.

It is a marsupial, and it is called a Koala.

</Pedant>

Door in the face technique.

[Poorcku]

Classic applied social psychology. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Door-in-the-face_tech nique