[Ip-health] Draconian Anti-Piracy Law Looms Over Australia

[Jeff Williams]

All,


http://www.iia.net.au/index.php?option=3Dcom_content&task=3Dview&id=3D517&I=
temid=3D32

A new 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 =E2=80=94 with little if an=
y
public debate."

Regards,

--
Jeffrey A. Williams
Spokesman for INEGroup LLA. - (Over 134k members/stakeholders strong!)
"Obediance of the law is the greatest freedom" -
   Abraham Lincoln

"Credit should go with the performance of duty and not with what is
very often the accident of glory" - Theodore Roosevelt

"If the probability be called P; the injury, L; and the burden, B;
liability depends upon whether B is less than L multiplied by
P: i.e., whether B is less than PL."
United States v. Carroll Towing  (159 F.2d 169 [2d Cir. 1947]
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Updated 1/26/04
CSO/DIR. Internet Network Eng. SR. Eng. Network data security
IDNS. div. of Information Network Eng.  INEG. INC.
ABA member in good standing member ID 01257402
E-Mail jwkckid1@ix.netcom.com
 Registered Email addr with the USPS
Contact Number: 214-244-4827