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OCAU News |
As I am certain many of you are aware, the Free Trade Agreement that was signed between Australia and the United States has a few implications for the IT world. As reported in today's Sydney Morning Herald, draft legislation will effectively prohibit the use of devices and services designed to circumvent copy control technological protection measures, with fines for users of such technology, and even larger fines and possible prison time for distributors of such techology.
What may this mean for the average Australian? Mod chips (even for legal backup uses) would most likely be targeted, as would the use of software such as DeCSS to display commercial DVDs on operating systems for which no licenced decrypter is available (Linux, for instance).
On the positive side, it would become legal under new legislation to rip CDs to play on mp3 players, and limited exemptions for libraries... but will we be giving up too much in exchange for such new freedoms?
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All original content copyright James Rolfe.
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