From NEWS.com.au
Video crooks come in from the cold
By Nick Butterly
December 28, 2005MILLIONS of Australians who tape TV shows and copy CDs will soon get the right to do it with a clear conscience.
The Federal Government will next year legalise the video recording of television shows for personal use, and the transfer of songs from CDs to MP3 players, in a bid to overturn a ban which has made criminals of much of the population.
Attorney-General Philip Ruddock has flagged tidying up copyright laws by adding fair-use loopholes that will clear the way for private citizens to copy the content without breaking the law.
But yet to be decided is whether a levy will be slapped on the store price of blank CDs and MP3 players, such as iPods, to compensate artists for the revenue they stand to lose under the new laws.
Though the practice is widespread, it remains illegal to convert a CD to MP3 format for playing on an iPod.
There are more than 100,000 Australian iPod owners, all of whom have broken the law by uploading music.
It is also against the law to tape a television program.
A spokeswoman for Mr Ruddock said the Government was close to completing draft laws that would allow people to copy their CDs on to iPods and tape television programs.
Mr Ruddock foreshadowed the changes this month.
He said there needed to be a balance between the rights of copyright owners and the interests of users.
“We should have copyright laws that are more targeted at the real problem,” Mr Ruddock said.
“We should not treat everyday Australians who want to use technology to enjoy copyright material they have obtained legally as infringers where this does not cause harm to our copyright industries.”
The Attorney-General said he was likely to add exceptions to current laws to recognise “everyday forms of private copying that do not harm copyright owners”.
In Canada, where similar laws have been introduced, a fee was levied on blank CD and iPod unit sales to compensate copyright owners with up to an extra $32 being placed on the store price of individual machines.
Mr Ruddock’s spokeswoman said a similar system had been discussed for Australia, but was unlikely to be introduced.
The Australian Federal Police does not pursue people who have taped TV shows or transferred songs to their iPods from CDs. However, a spokeswoman said all referrals were acted on.
This is great news, but I’ll believe it when it happens. I’m also keen to know just how open-ended these fair use provisions will be.