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Pirate Party Becomes a Registered Political Party In Australia

First time accepted submitter norpy writes "The Australian branch of the pirate party has today announced that their registration as a political party has been successful. According to the announcement the party will now turn its attention to selection of candidates and development of policies for the upcoming federal election. 'Organising and validating a membership database to then submit to the AEC for the purposes of registration is a daunting task. Fortunately, we had a team of volunteers who were prepared to spend many weekends ensuring that the list we sent to the AEC was entirely valid, and I thank them for their effort,' said Brendan Molloy, Secretary of Pirate Party Australia."

74 of 122 comments (clear)

  1. Same in Norway. by p43751 · · Score: 5, Informative

    The Norwegian Pirateparty got enough signatures andis also now a legal party that will be in the 2013 election.

  2. Decisions, decisions... by sd4f · · Score: 2, Funny

    Shooters party, pirate party and KAP, now i need to make a decision! Good thing we have preferential voting, looks like i'm going to have to number below the line for the table cloth vote.

    1. Re:Decisions, decisions... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It hurts knowing valid or invalid vote, the turkeys who get in get 'electoral funding money' of about $2.50 per vote (each house). So I will put the nutter parties first, in the hope some of the electoral funding does NOT come to the majors. I may even have to join, so if challenged, the kook party really does have that many members.

      The policy should be to decriminalize a tort, ie copyright, and criminalize shake down operations and computer trespass, privacy violations, transmission of information in breach of Australia's database laws.
      Under ACCC, Price fixing, abuse of market power, collusion - would make a good start.

      Despite the name, they are firmly on the side of both the law, and natural justice.

  3. rms on pirate party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative
    1. Re:rms on pirate party by c0lo · · Score: 2

      In my mind, any software that does not evolve for 5 years is either:
      a. complete - so that nobody is hurt by inclusion in a commercial software - the original still exists (anyone stupid enough to use it as sold by a party instead of taking it from the public domain is paying the stupidity tax)
      b. dead prematurely - as in "incomplete but with no maintainers" - in which case too small chances to be revived in open source.

      So, how's open source movement losing from a copyright reduced to 5 years?

      --
      Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
    2. Re:rms on pirate party by rjr162 · · Score: 1

      I think RMS forgot all about the fact each year/change/update would be a new copyright since it is a new version, so the only copies going completely public would be the version from 5 years ago. So whatever would be used without the benefit of any return from the company would be 5 years or more old.

    3. Re:rms on pirate party by Andy_R · · Score: 2

      It's worth noting that this only applies to one particular Pirate Party.

      When we set up the Pirate Party UK, I exchanged mails with RMS on the length of copyright he would consider reasonable, and he was happy with our 10 year proposal.

      If the Australian Pirate Party go for 10 years not 5, then we can assume RMS won't object to that either.

      --
      A pizza of radius z and thickness a has a volume of pi z z a
    4. Re:rms on pirate party by tick-tock-atona · · Score: 2

      I'm a big fan of RMS, but that article is possibly the stupidest thing he's ever written.

      Forcing people to put their code in escrow for enforced release when copyright expires is police-state coercion. The idea that such a law could possibly be enforceable is ludicrous.

    5. Re:rms on pirate party by wirelessduck · · Score: 1

      If the Australian Pirate Party go for 10 years not 5, then we can assume RMS won't object to that either.

      Current PPAU policy is for 15 years, so I'm guessing RMS would be OK with it?

      --
      "Every man has a right to his own opinion, but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts." - Bernard Baruch
    6. Re:rms on pirate party by deimtee · · Score: 1

      It's very easy to make it self-enforce. Only recognize copyright on software that has its source code in escrow. Similar to the old USA system of registering copyright.

      --
      I'm guessing that wasn't on their radar screen...
    7. Re:rms on pirate party by Troed · · Score: 1
  4. Re:Study, create, have a lazy Australian steal it by kestasjk · · Score: 1

    Don't worry, no sane Australian will be voting for them.. As an Australian software developer I assure you I'm all for sensible, realistic IP protection. (But no more than is necessary to reward innovation / creativity.)

    --
    // MD_Update(&m,buf,j);
  5. Re: Study, create, have a lazy Australian steal it by neurosine · · Score: 2

    It's going to be someone lazy. Why not an Australian? What are you? Prejudiced?

  6. Re:Study, create, have a lazy Australian steal it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Not all Aussie developers are sane (can't be helped, too much sun). I'm a bit torn between voting them or the greens; for now, I'll go back polishing that OSS software I'm working on.

  7. Re:Study, create, have a lazy Australian steal it by Gaygirlie · · Score: 5, Funny

    In other words, the Party of Thieves. How admirable.

    I didn't know the RIAA or the MPAA were a political party :O

  8. Re:Study, create, have a lazy Australian steal it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    As another software developer, I'd vote for them.

    I grow quite tired of other people making the assumption that every 'creator' favors copyright.

  9. What a dumb name by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Why not "The Computer Party"?

    1. Re:What a dumb name by Bengie · · Score: 1

      I'm sure they could make up something to make use of "The LAN Party"

    2. Re:What a dumb name by dns_server · · Score: 1

      There is Gamers 4 Croydon that was a political party that was sitting in a few seats in the South Australian election.
      They were created to lobby for R18+ rating for video games. They did not get a lot of votes but raising the issue has finally introduced the rating in Australia.

    3. Re:What a dumb name by jones_supa · · Score: 1

      Something like "Digital Freedom Party" would be good. The Pirate Party is a bit misleading.

    4. Re:What a dumb name by Hatta · · Score: 1

      Because that's the party of Google, Microsoft, IBM, and Amazon.

      --
      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    5. Re:What a dumb name by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1

      Agreed. Johnny Depp as a creepy old perv lusting after Keira Knightley is hardly a wholesome image.
      Heath Ledger's portrayal of Ned Kelly on the other hand... The Bushranger Party would have more local resonance if you're seeking icons of murderous thieving subversives.

  10. And when they get hardly any votes... by Viol8 · · Score: 1, Insightful

    ... the kids running it might realise that adults who have to work for a living have more important things to worry about than whether they can download music and video for free. You know, minor things like healthcare, education, the economy etc etc...

    1. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      ... the kids running it might realise that adults who have to work for a living have more important things to worry about than whether they can download music and video for free. You know, minor things like healthcare, education, the economy etc etc...

      By the time healthcare becomes an issue for that generation they'll be able to download pirated plans for medical droids off the internet and print them out on their 3D printers. I'm also pretty sure that by then uploading knowledge directly into your brain will have become a reality. As for 'mainstream economics', these will have been superseded by Warcraft economics and we'll all be able to support ourselves by mining for bitcoins online.

    2. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by hawkinspeter · · Score: 2

      So, which party do you recommend that has an "adult" focus and aren't just a bunch of liars?

      --
      You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
    3. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by Laglorden · · Score: 2

      Or maybe they are already mature enough to realise it's not about downloading music and video for free but rather about mankinds future.

      You know, minor things like freedom, innovation and mankinds future survival in the long run.

      All our progress so far has been dependant on refining things already done, and when the patent system stops this rather than helping it might mean that in the future we will get less innovation -> human will devolvle and die.

      (And we will also get less music, film and other culture, but that's survivable)

    4. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by deimtee · · Score: 2

      I think they picked a silly name that costs them votes, but most of the Sex Party policies are actually pretty good. Better than the LibLabs anyway.

      --
      I'm guessing that wasn't on their radar screen...
    5. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by wirelessduck · · Score: 3, Informative
      --
      "Every man has a right to his own opinion, but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts." - Bernard Baruch
    6. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by fredprado · · Score: 1, Troll

      Please my good sir. Show me one single thing that is purely original and does not consist in 99.999% of public knowledge. The little "originality" you add to something does not give you the right to sequestrate it from public domain, from where it mostly came.

    7. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by hawkinspeter · · Score: 1

      My, what an elegant and sophisticated argument you're presenting there. You've completely convinced me now; I always thought that "standing on the shoulders of giants" sounded unfeasible. I mean, how many giants do you see around these days? New York Giants? They're not going to be able play American Football very well with everyone stood on their shoulders.

      --
      You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
    8. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by Viol8 · · Score: 1, Insightful

      "Show me one single thing that is purely original and does not consist in 99.999% of public knowledge."

      Were you born yesterday or what?

      Telegraph, Radio, Photography, babbages difference engine, penicillin, probably the fucking wheel were all original ideas in their time with almost NO prior art. And do you seriously think the industrial revolution was purely a linear evolution from horses and carts?

      As the OP said, one day you might have an original thought but I won't be holding my breath.

    9. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by Viol8 · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      "Or maybe they are already mature enough to realise it's not about downloading music and video for free but rather about mankinds future."

      LOL :o) Oh please, spare me the feeble self justifying party line that people like you spout

      "You know, minor things like freedom, innovation and mankinds future survival in the long run."

      Didn't you just say that? Or have you run out of argument already?

      "All our progress so far has been dependant on refining things already done,"

      Not everything , and whats that got to do with no paying for content that someone else took time to create? You can dress it up as some magnanimous gift for mankind that you're selflessly endowing upon The People(tm) if you like but you're not fooling anyone.

      "and when the patent system stops"

      The patent system in the USA. The rest of the world doesn't give a shit.

    10. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by Laglorden · · Score: 1

      You know, when Disney makes a re-spin of "a Christmas carol", they are using something in the public domain to create something "new", that's good, but then they buy the politicians to make sure they never have to give it back to the public domain, that's not good (for anyone except Disney's shareholders, and not them either).

      When General Motors patents for example battery technology and uses it, not for doing anything themselves, but suing everybody who tries to make something that's bad.

      The copyright/patent system should work like it was INTENDED, to encourage human development, not the other way around. It's vital that is does.

      I worry we will enter another "dark ages" time when human development goes backward instead of forward, due to "Intellectual Property Rights". That could lead to millions or billions dead or never born, it could lead to that humankind never reach the stars but instead dies on this planet".

      It's a bit more than being able to download music for free, and it's much much more important than the media maffios wallets you seem to be protecting.

    11. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by deimtee · · Score: 1

      Interesting. But I was referring to the Sex Party name. The Pirate Party had more history and reasons to keep the name. The Sex Party often gets written off as a bunch of perverts without even looking at their policies.
      Also the point of capturing the attention of apathetic voters has slightly less relevance in Aus, where we have compulsory voting (approx 97% turnout).
      You only have to be less repulsive than the other parties, you don't have to actually campaign to get the voters out.

      --
      I'm guessing that wasn't on their radar screen...
    12. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by fredprado · · Score: 2

      Absolutely nothing of this would be possible without all the mathematics, physics and chemistry developed before, which amounted for most of these "discoveries", as I said. To add even more to my point, all of these inventions you used as examples were about and in the process to be invented by someone else other than their creators when they were patented. The creators just did it a bit faster.

    13. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by Viol8 · · Score: 1

      "and it's much much more important than the media maffios wallets you seem to be protecting."

      Oh right, I disagree with your point of view so obviously I must be working for The Man.

      Grow up.

    14. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by Laglorden · · Score: 1

      That's something you inferred yourself, I just said you seem to be protecting the media maffia, I don't know why, that you are paid by them is something you yourself said.

      "Grow up" is obviously something you use as an insult when arguments fail.

      I'm probably more "grown up" than you (think) both physically and mentally, since I have thought this through and don't think it's about "downloading music for free" that you seem to think it's a question what kind of society we want. A society that rewards invention but limits the bad things that have cropped up with the patent system, a society where we don't have totalitarian control but freedom of speech.

      But since you think the various Pirate Parties is only about "downloading stuff for free" I can understand you point of view, however it's not particularly "mature" or informed about the reality. So "grow up" or at least read what the Pirate Party/Parties really think should happen and think things through before further showing your ignorance is my suggestion. I'm not affliated with any PP I just think there the best option out there to preserve our freedom to communicate (even if that means "kids" can download music for free), reform the patent system for the future and also get the most/best amount of culture.

      I'm for the artists, inventors and a free society and against the media maffia, copyright trolls/abusers and people who want's to create a repressive society. Simple as that.

    15. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by VortexCortex · · Score: 1

      So, which party do you recommend that has an "adult" focus and aren't just a bunch of liars?

      That's easy: Tupperware Party.

    16. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by hawkinspeter · · Score: 1

      Why did the walrus go to the tupperware party?

      --
      You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
    17. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by Viol8 · · Score: 1

      "that you are paid by them is something you yourself said."

      Err, care to cut and paste where I said that?

      "I'm probably more "grown up" than you (think) both physically and mentally,"

      Boasting about physical prowess is something teenagers tend to do. Well done on proving my point.

      "I'm for the artists, inventors and a free society and against the media maffia, copyright trolls/abusers and people who want's to create a repressive society. Simple as that."

      If you had a clue what copyright actually was I might listen to your arguments. You clearly don't, so I won't.

    18. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by Laglorden · · Score: 1

      "Oh right, I disagree with your point of view so obviously I must be working for The Man."

      There you go.

      I wasn't boasting about physical prowess, just saying I'm probably more "grown up" than you but in years and mentally. Yelling "Grow up!" is something teenagers do or at least something people without other arguments do.

      Let's just see the fact that you havn't argued against any of my points, just tried personal attacks again and again. So, it's quite clear that you don't know what you are talking about and furthermore have no interest in finding out. Which is quite sad, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

    19. Re:And when they get hardly any votes... by Viol8 · · Score: 1

      "There you go."

      Google "sarcasm".

      "but in years and mentally. "

      No mature adults equates file sharing with the future of mankind. That type of hyperbolic exaggeration is strictly the province of lunatics and squawking adolescents.

      "Yelling "Grow up!" is something teenagers do or at least something people without other arguments do."

      Actually its something parents do to kids. I've done it quite a few times. No reason not to use it on here when I see the same sort of rubbish being spouted.

      "you can lead a horse to water "

      You couldn't lead a dog to a bone.

  11. And so it begins... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    No one likes Tony or Julia, but they vote Labor or LNP because "We have always done it that way." How do you convince people to do something different?

    1. Re:And so it begins... by mjwx · · Score: 1

      No one likes Tony or Julia, but they vote Labor or LNP because "We have always done it that way." How do you convince people to do something different?

      Gord,

      A slab of VB for a mod point.

      This describes the voting situation in Australia perfectly. You've got large segments of the population that vote Labor or Liberal simply because it's what they've always done.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    2. Re:And so it begins... by gargleblast · · Score: 1

      I see it clearly - the new election slogan!

      "VOTE LIBERAL. WE'VE GOT YOUR PHOBIA".

    3. Re:And so it begins... by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1

      Katter Party?

  12. Re:more wasted votes by Viol8 · · Score: 1

    Yeah , and the only thing that sucks more is pathetic coalition politics that happens in a lot of europe which means nothing radical or important ever gets done because the governing parties can't agree.

    Remember - nothing innovative was ever designed by a committee.

  13. Just curious about the endgame? by Grayhand · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I try to stay out of these discussions and I'll keep the question neutral but I'm curious what people see as the goal of things like the Pirate Party? Defunding movies, music and software seems counterproductive so what is the solution? If it's a party then it has to have goals? I know the dream is the end of copyrights and the free exchange of all information but it's an unrealistic goal so what is the compromise since in sense the goal of politics is compromise? I figure if we're going to cover the subject yet again there should be more interesting discussion than devolving into the standard "Piracy, good", "Copyright, bad" posts. The goal should be discussing solutions or the whole thread becomes redundant. FYI I'm not trying to troll here it's a legitimate question and an opening to offer sensible options.

    1. Re:Just curious about the endgame? by tick-tock-atona · · Score: 4, Informative

      Here is the current platform. In it, copyright is limited to 15 years.

      I'd encourage you to read the whole thing, and if you've got ideas to contribute, please jump on IRC or a mailing list:

      http://pirateparty.org.au/irc/

      http://lists.pirateparty.org.au/

    2. Re:Just curious about the endgame? by Trepidity · · Score: 1

      It varies based on the country. The German Pirate Party has turned into something of a civil-libertarian party with a focus on technological issues, vaguely like an EFF Party or something. They got a lot of younger people who in previous eras might've voted FDP, a libertarian-ish party that is now associated too much with rich businessmen to get much of the younger liberal vote. Also some ex-Greens moved over for various reasons.

    3. Re:Just curious about the endgame? by Bengie · · Score: 2

      Just a quick FYI, based on history, the fastest growing time in the USA for movies was when there was no copyrights.

      Copyrights were enforced on the East Coast but not the the West Coast, so all of the innovators of movie making, like Fox, Metro, Goldwyn, and Mayer(MGM), and many other big names, went to the West Coast and Hollywood came from it.

      Hollywood's roots are based in anti-copyright.

  14. Re:Study, create, have a lazy Australian steal it by ozduo · · Score: 1

    In OZ the "labour party" is spelt "Labor" http://www.alp.org.au/ They must be dyslexic! It's supporters don't seem to notice the spelling mistake perhaps it is an indicator of their intelligence.

    --
    I got to the chocolate box before you, that's why the hard ones have teeth marks.
  15. Re:Study, create, have a lazy Australian steal it by c0lo · · Score: 1
    Uh?
    S'riously?

    Looks to me as an acceptable orthography for the word.

    --
    Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
  16. They'll get votes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Because there's no difference between any of the candidates and therefore the only reason to vote for ANY of them is for single issue elements.

    And if there's a close election where a seat was won or lost by a thousand votes, TPP getting several thousand votes will show where either one can make a difference. If those votes had gone to THEM, they'd have won.

    PS why can't you download public domain music and video for free? And where do you get your free interenet access from?

    1. Re:They'll get votes by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      PS why can't you download public domain music and video for free? And where do you get your free interenet access from?

      Here is your free public domain library, and you can get free internet access via wi-fi at a lot of places; bars, McDonalds, Laundromats, etc. Often there are private persons who deliberately leave their systems open as well.

  17. Good alternative to the Greens by Quick+Reply · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The Greens are rising in power because the major two are seen as pathetic, and voters are looking for the most sane party to fill this gap. Unfortunately the closest thing we have had to 'sane', is the Greens. While some of their policies are good, they are on a whole batshit crazy and is not acceptable option to most people, so they fall back onto the major two.

    With The Pirate Party, if you just get past the name and actually look at the policies, they are not that bad.

    Under two-party preferred system, their votes will probably be funnelled to the Greens, which would then be funnelled to Labor. At least it will be a start and show that the major two are falling in popularity.

    1. Re:Good alternative to the Greens by AbRASiON · · Score: 1

      Actually some of the sex parties policies were downright logical. The problem with them and the pirate party is they have stupid names, so a huge portion of people will overlook them immediately.

    2. Re:Good alternative to the Greens by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      they are on a whole batshit crazy

      In what way is this true, or do you just swallow everything the mainstream media ejaculates?

    3. Re:Good alternative to the Greens by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Which policies are batshit crazy? This gets said a lot but nobody can name one.

    4. Re:Good alternative to the Greens by coxymla · · Score: 1

      Read the Greens' website. It sounds like something written by a bright-eyed first year university student who just joined the local Socialist Alliance chapter. Probably because it was.

    5. Re:Good alternative to the Greens by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1

      Hmmm, socialist alliance members have their own parliamentary candidates. My experience of them at uni - those that take 7 years to finish a 3 year degree - they seem far more 'loony left' than Dr Brown.

      Nevertheless that Lee Rhiannon from NSW seems out of step with Bandt, Milne and Hanson-Young. "St Bob" reprimanded her at least once for her extremism.

    6. Re:Good alternative to the Greens by drsmithy · · Score: 1

      Can you be a little more specific ?

  18. Re:Study, create, have a lazy Australian steal it by martin-boundary · · Score: 1

    "Not like the brazen parties of media fame,
    With grasping hands astride from land to land;
    Here at our sea-washed, downunder beaches shall stand
    A mighty party with a torch, whose flame
    Is the imprisoned lighting, and its name
    Party of Pirates. From her beacon website
    Glows world-wide welcome; her mild policies command
    The ether-bridged harbor that the noosphere frame.
    "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
    With silent lips. "Give me your hackers, your thieves,
    Your anonymous masses yearning to breathe free,
    The wretched refuse of your copyrighted shore,
    Send these, the privacyless, TOS whacked to me,
    I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

  19. Re:Study, create, have a lazy Australian steal it by kestasjk · · Score: 1

    I'm a creator, and I'm in favor of copyright. That is both for open source projects, where the copyright keeps my work from being stolen, and for proprietary projects, where the copyright keeps my work from being stolen.

    I guess we'll let democracy decide. :) Let's just say my IP protections don't feel very threatened by this group of crackpots.

    --
    // MD_Update(&m,buf,j);
  20. Re:Study, create, have a lazy Australian steal it by kestasjk · · Score: 1

    You realize copyright protects OSS software? Check my homepage if you think to be in favor of IP I must be anti-OSS..

    --
    // MD_Update(&m,buf,j);
  21. Re:Study, create, have a lazy Australian steal it by dkleinsc · · Score: 1

    They are in the United States - it's called the Democrat-Republican Party, also known as the Corporate Party.

    --
    I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
  22. Re: sensible, realistic protection by neonsignal · · Score: 2

    Have you read the Pirate Party's submission regarding copyright review, or their submission regarding patent reform? Do you have specific points of disagreement other than just implying that it is not sensible?

  23. Re:more wasted votes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    A political system that prevents politicians from doing radical things, and you think that is bad?

  24. Re:more wasted votes by hey! · · Score: 1

    Yeah , and the only thing that sucks more is pathetic coalition politics that happens in a lot of europe which means nothing radical or important ever gets done because the governing parties can't agree.

    It's not quite so simple as that. One mathematical definition of political power is the number of winning coalitions a player can join. Given a significant number of parties with none dominant, very small fringe parties can often find themselves in a "kingmaker" position, allowing them to promote more radical policies than the majority of the electorate would favor.

    Take the current UK coalition government. The Conservatives have a plurality of seats (306) in the House of Commons, and have two choices for coalition partners, Labour (257) or the Liberal Democrats (57). Suppose the Conservatives had a dozen more seats. This could potentially put the fourth largest party, the nationalist/unionist Democratic Union Party from Northern Ireland (8 seats) in a position to form a winning coalition with the Conservatives, effectively giving this small party equal power to the much larger Labour and LibDem parties -- they can all join in exactly one winning coalition. The Conservatives on the other hand could form coalitions with any of the next three smaller parties (discounting absurd coalitions with anti-union parties like Sinn Féin and the Scottish Nationalist Party).

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  25. Re:Study, create, have a lazy Australian steal it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    You really need your lifetime + 50 years of protection?

  26. Re:Study, create, have a lazy Australian steal it by kestasjk · · Score: 1

    No, but I need more than 5.

    --
    // MD_Update(&m,buf,j);
  27. Re:Study, create, have a lazy Australian steal it by kestasjk · · Score: 1

    Well suggest how to improve copyright, rather than tear down the only thing that rewards us for our work, and I'll "expand my horizons". Right now I don't see any of that.

    --
    // MD_Update(&m,buf,j);
  28. Re:more wasted votes by pbjones · · Score: 1

    Troll, maybe,
    Wasted because narrow focus parties often do deals in order to achieve their narrow goals, and so become a de facto part of the major parties. maybe there should be a rule in parliament that says that a party can't vote on matters for which they don't have a policy? or you may as well just shut your eyes and tick any box on the ballot paper.

    --
    There was an unknown error in the submission.
  29. Re:Study, create, have a lazy Australian steal it by kestasjk · · Score: 1

    How about getting paid for your time amongst many others?

    So we should be rewarded in fewer ways? We should only be rewarded if our IP can be protected due to the fact that it can't be copied (e.g. in writing business applications)?

    Just as some obvious starts reducing the time period (as the PP proposes), reducing the scope (e.g. fair use much wider, separating so-called moral rights, de-criminialize etc.), reducing the hiding/secrecy (e.g. Hollywood acounting - far too easy to hide massive scams with "IP" so have much stricter transparency rules with any money associated with IP), taxing DRM (artificial scarcity and market manipulation should be paid for) and reducing the penalties (copying is not stealing no matter how much you wish it was). There are many possibilities.

    All things which dilute protection of IP, and will make it harder to reward content creators. That's an improvement only for certain people, and only in the short-term. No thanks.

    --
    // MD_Update(&m,buf,j);