I no longer have to keep looking over my shoulder.
I’m finally legal.
Up until today it has been illegal in Australia to transfer your CD collection to your computer or MP3 player. That means that the 1000 or so songs on my iPod mini have been there illegally for quite some time. Oops!
I knew that this was the case but I also knew that these law changes were on the way.
Thankfully the law has now caught up with common sense and you are now allowed to put music that you have bought onto a personal player. Well actually, even though the legislation has now passed, it’s still illegal until the bill receives royal assent, which is expected to occur before Christmas. Good news for those receiving MP3 players on the 25th.
Aussies will also be able to record record and play back television and radio programs at home. Were you aware that up until today it has been illegal to video television programming? If you’ve ever recorded a TV show to watch later, you have broken the law. You don’t need to have shown it to anyone or sold it, the simple act of recording a show was against the law.
It probably doesn’t need to be said that you’ll still be in danger of prosecution if the music you put on your player isn’t legally yours to begin with. You can’t borrow your friends’ CDs or download pirated copies of music from the internet. The new legislation will increase penalties for piracy.
I’m happy to say that the only stuff on my iPod mini is copies of CDs that I legally own and free Podcasts. That means that I have nothing to worry about and everything to gain when the legislation finally becomes law.
If you’d like to check out the full details, Australian IT has the details here.
Posted by Rodney Olsen
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Technorati Tags: iPod – IT News – Copyright
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Wow – it was illegal to do that there? Why? If you already bought the CD it was yours. I don’t get it.
It’s about time!
Gasp! Rodney is a lawbreaker?!
Hey Rodney,
Would it be against the law for us to post a copy of your Christmas Skit at Ra’ah? If not can you forward us a link or email a copy??
Cheers
Rodney started his law-breaking activities at a very young age. I think he was probably about 10 or 11 (correct me if I am wrong Rocket)when he started illegal transmissions of copywrited material from underneath his parents house. He had set up his own radio station under his parents house (record player/cassette- complete with carpet and chairs). The music (and intermittant monologues- no guests at this stage that I can recall)were piped through the house via speakers on the other side of the floorboards.
So! Was this illegal. Was it private use? Or did he have an INTENT to entertain? Hmmm! Those ‘legal’ fine lines!!! 🙂
Well Peter …. what can I say? Guilty as charged. 🙂
Wow… so that was the beginning of a career in radio! Cool.