Meanwhile, in Australia, a similar movement is afoot: downloading music from CDs onto iPods and MP3 players will no longer be illegal after the federal cabinet agreed to make sweeping changes to copyright laws. But at the same time, the govt. will increase surveillance and fines on internet piracy…
Once the new laws are passed, “format shifting” of music, newspapers and books from personal collections onto iPods and MP3 players will become legal. The laws will also make it legal for people to tape TV and radio programs for playback later, a practice currently prohibited, though millions of people regularly do it.
But on violation, police will be able to issue on-the-spot fines and access and recover profits made by copyright pirates. Courts will be given extra powers to award larger damages payouts against internet pirates.
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