Shannon O’Neill

In response to an application by the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) on behalf of its member artists and record labels, today the Copyright Tribunal is reported to have ordered an increase to the licence fees payable by nightclub venues and commercially organised dance party operators. The rate for licensed sound recordings played in nightclubs will be raised from $0.07 per person to $1.05 per person and from $0.20 to $3.05 per person for dance parties.

[via]

A 1500% increase??

This Is Not Art is on in Newcastle this weekend. It’s my favourite Australian festival - if you’ve never been, you should check it out. I’ll be doing a couple of talks and a couple of performances.

Instead we get something called ‘flexible dealing’ which allows for

1. Non-commercial uses by libraries, museums and archives (eg, to allow a museum to include extracts of historical documents in materials for visitors);
2. Non-commercial uses by educational institutions for the purpose of teaching (eg, to allow a school to put an out-of-date VHS documentary onto DVD);
3. Non-commercial uses for the benefit of people with disabilities (eg, to allow a person with a print disability to convert a book they own into accessible text), and
4. Parody and satire.

More info at Weatherall’s Law.

Some interesting free talks coming up in Sydney:

1) Key Concepts lecture series at Sydney Uni. A follow-up to last year’s Key Thinkers series which I couldn’t make due to work commitments. I’m looking forward to attending some of these.

Wednesday 3 May ‘Terra Nullius’ Andrew Fitzmaurice
Wednesday 10 May ‘Nationalism’ Glenda Sluga
Wednesday 17 May ‘Freedom’ Duncan Ivison
Wednesday 24 May ‘Truth’ Huw Price
Wednesday 31 May ‘Racism’ Ghassan Hage
Wednesday 7 June ‘Death’ Jennann Ismael
Wednesday 14 June ‘Globalisation’ Raewyn Connell

Venue: NEW VENUE FOR 2006 Footbridge Theatre The University of Sydney

Outspoken novelist, commentator and new-tech guru CORY DOCTOROW debates the future for filmmakers and media artists in this special event presented by Popcorn Taxi and the Australian Film Commission. Doctorow asks where does Hollywood get off, “with its antiquated business model, in treating the media user as a criminal with their draconian copyright laws?…Such laws limit the creative possibilities for artists and users.”An innovativeand brilliant thinker Doctorow proposes a revolutionary new model for media artists that defies the Digital Rights Management: “Technologies that seek to restrict the copying and use of digital works are wrong and wrong-headed”, Cory says. “Wrong because they don’t work, because they suppress creativity, and because they treat honest users like crooks. Wrong-headed because they seek to make digital works act as much as possibly like analog works. No DVD owner wants a way to do less with her movies, and companies that try to sell her technologies to do this deserve to go broke.”This debate is essential for any filmmaker and media artist who wants to give serious consideration to the future of their Work. The evening will include an interview and audience Q&A conducted by MARCUS GILLEZEAU, filmmaker (Firelight) and a specialist in digital production technologies.

popcorn taxi
Rated: R18+ EXEMPT from CLASSIFICATION
Time: 7.00pmDate: Wednesday, April, 19th, 2006
Where: Greater Union Bondi Junction
Address: Level 6, 500 Oxford Street, Westfield Bondi Junction Entry: Free

Bettered by the borrower - copyrights and music composition

Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project

Famous Cannabis Users

Google Idol

THE MARRIAGE OF CADMUS AND HARMONY FOR CHILDS

The Mercury Theatre on the Air

Nyet

sCrAmBlEd?HaCkZ! (awesome software!)

SONY admits that CD/44.1PCM is inferior

Stagg Chili Recipes

Video Downloader

xTal - free mp3 DJ VSTi plugin

Zaatar Mix

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Australian Copyright Council --- Subscriber Information Services
========================================================

The report of the House of Representatives Legal and Constitutional Affairs
Committee on technological protection measures exceptions was released
yesterday, 1 March 2006.

The report relates to Australia¹s obligations regarding technological
protection measures in the Australia­US Free Trade Agreement, and the
circumstances in which a person may be entitled to circumvent a
technological protection measure.

The report includes recommendations for exemption from circumvention
liability in a range of circumstances. In addition, it recommends that
technological measures intended to restrict the playing of DVDs and other
items to particular regions (region coding) be excluded from protection
under the Copyright Act.

Go to http://www.copyright.org.au/U26626 for a link to the report.

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From Australian Copyright Council
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Australian Copyright Council
PO Box 1986 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012
Australia

+61 2 9318 1788 (Tel, copyright information)
+61 2 9699 3247 (Tel, admin and sales)
+61 2 9698 3536 (Fax)
http://www.copyright.org.au https://shop.copyright.org.au info@copyright.org.au ———————————————————————-  _______________________________________________ News-l mailing list News-l@lists.copyright.org.au http://mailman.barnet.com.au/mailman/listinfo/news-l

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Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc. (EFA)
www.efa.org.au [Contact details at end of message]  Media Release: 14 February 2006  PUBLIC INTEREST GROUPS LODGE SUBMISSIONS IN FILE SHARING CASE  Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA), in conjunction with the Australian Consumers’ Association and the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, has lodged an amicus curiae application with the Full Federal Court in appeal proceedings regarding the Kazaa file-sharing software.  The three public interest groups, represented by the Communications Law Centre at Victoria University, are seeking permission to take part in the appeal as friends of the court’.  “The proposed submissions to the Court make clear EFA’s view that a balanced approach to copyright law is needed to ensure that copyright does not unduly inhibit the rights of technology users and developers,” said Matt Black, Chair of EFA.  “We must not allow copyright to impede other important rights, including freedom of expression and privacy.”  Under Australian copyright law, a person can be found to have infringed copyright if they have authorised the infringing activities of others.  The public interest groups’ proposed submissions petition the Court to develop a test for authorisation that would protect those who merely distribute technologies that have non-infringing uses.  EFA believes that banning the distribution of file-sharing services that have potential non-infringing uses would have a chilling effect on legitimate technological development.  The case involves changes to copyright law that were implemented by the Copyright Amendment (Digital Agenda) Act 2000.  This will be the first appellate level consideration of how copyright law applies to file-sharing technology in Australia.  Elizabeth Beal, Director of the Communications Law Centre, said the outcome of the appeal was likely to have wide-ranging implications and to be watched from around the world.  “This is a major test case which will have serious ramifications for the ways in which Australians can communicate”, said Ms Beal.  “This case concerns the application of new Digital Agenda laws to technologies such as P2P networks for the first time in Australia. It raises many issues about the rights and duties of technology developers, content providers and Internet users,” said Mr Black.  “How we resolve these issues is important for freedom of speech and other on-line rights.”  The hearing of the appeal is scheduled to commence on 20 February 2006 in the Federal Court at Sydney.  The decision on whether to grant the public interest groups’ request for permission to make friend of the court submissions is a matter for the Full Court.  — Ends —  Below is: - Background information - Contact details for media  Background information:  The judgment of Justice Wilcox, which as been appealed against: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/federal_ct/2005/1242.html  Summary of the earlier submission made by the public interest groups to Justice Wilcox: http://www.oznetlaw.net/pdffiles/P2PAmicusMediaSummary.pdf  The Digital Agenda Act: http://www.comlaw.gov.au/comlaw/management.nsf/lookupindexpagesbyid/IP200404118?
OpenDocument

The Communications Law Centre:
http://www.comslaw.org.au  About EFA:  Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc. (”EFA”) is a non-profit national organisation representing Internet users concerned with on-line rights and freedoms. EFA was established in 1994, is independent of government and commerce, and is funded by membership subscriptions and donations from individuals and organisations with an altruistic interest in promoting on-line civil liberties.  Media Contacts:  Mr Matt Black EFA Chair Phone: 0421 022 052 Email: matt at efa.org.au  Ms Elizabeth Beal Director, Communications Law Centre Phone: (03) 9600 1021 Email: ebeal at comslaw.org.au  Mr Dale Clapperton EFA Vice-Chair Phone: 0416 007 100 Email: dclapperton at efa.org.au  ————————————————————– Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc — http://www.efa.org.au/ URL of this release: http://www.efa.org.au/Publish/PR060214.html ————————————————————–

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Australian Copyright Council --- Subscriber Information Services
========================================================

The Commonwealth has announced its proposed legislative program for the
first sitting of 2006. Legislation to be introduced includes:

*  the Copyright Amendment (Exceptions, Enforcement and Other Measures) Bill
which will implement outcomes from government reviews during 2005 and
introduce reforms to the jurisdiction and procedures of the Copyright
Tribunal; and

* the Copyright Amendment (Indigenous Communal Moral Rights) Bill.

The Government also intends to introduce an Intellectual Property Laws
Amendment Bill which will amend the Patents Act, Trade Marks Act, Designs
Act and Plant Breeders¹ Rights Act.

The proposed legislation program is available at:
http://www.dpmc.gov.au/parliamentary/index.cfm.

———————————————————————
From Australian Copyright Council
———————————————————————-
Australian Copyright Council
PO Box 1986 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012
Australia

+61 2 9318 1788 (Tel, copyright information)
+61 2 9699 3247 (Tel, admin and sales)
+61 2 9698 3536 (Fax)
http://www.copyright.org.au https://shop.copyright.org.au info@copyright.org.au ———————————————————————-  _______________________________________________ News-l mailing list News-l@lists.copyright.org.au http://mailman.barnet.com.au/mailman/listinfo/news-l

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Australian Copyright Council --- Subscriber Information Services
========================================================

The US Copyright Office has released the report of its inquiry into ³orphan
works² (that is, copyright material for which a copyright owner cannot be
located or identified).

The Office has recommended that limitations be placed on the remedies that
can be awarded in infringement actions where the infringing user can show
that a ³reasonably diligent² search for the copyright owner was undertaken,
and provided that, generally, attribution is given both to the relevant
creator and copyright owner.

The principal limitations on remedies recommended by the Office relate to:
- monetary relief (with a general limit on monetary relief to Œreasonable
compensation for the use¹, but with no monetary relief where the use is
non-commercial and the infringement ceased expediently upon notice); and
- limits on injunctive relief where the work has been incorporated as part
of a derivative work.

The report, together with background materials, is available at
http://www.copyright.gov/orphan/.

———————————————————————
From Australian Copyright Council
———————————————————————-
Australian Copyright Council
PO Box 1986 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012
Australia

+61 2 9318 1788 (Tel, copyright information)
+61 2 9699 3247 (Tel, admin and sales)
+61 2 9698 3536 (Fax)
http://www.copyright.org.au https://shop.copyright.org.au info@copyright.org.au

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News-l@lists.copyright.org.au http://mailman.barnet.com.au/mailman/listinfo/news-l

Article at mediageek.