On the Woo side - it makes me very relieved to learn that I am no longer committing some kind of criminal offence by using my iPod. I also sleep better at night knowing that, by taping a show off the telly, I am no longer breaking the law.

So you get the idea... this is not what one could generally regard as a forward-thinking, proactive revision to the Australian legal system.

But of course it gets dumber.

I'm allowed to record a TV show onto my VCR (or whatever). But I am only allowed to watch it once, and after that I must delete it. I am allowed to watch it with family and friends, but under no circumstance am I to lend that tape to a friend to be watched elsewhere. But that's OK, because everyone deletes a show after a single viewing, right?

Of course, after making these little concessions to the consumer, the curiously titled Free Trade Agreement kicks in, meaning we will no doubt get all the nasty bits of US copyright law. Yay.

Some of ths amusing bits from the [link|http://www.ag.gov.au/agd/WWW/MinisterRuddockHome.nsf/Page/Media_Releases_2006_Second_Quarter_14_May_2006_-_Major_Copyright_Reforms_Strike_Balace_-_0882006|FAQ]:

•Does this mean I can record my favourite television or radio program
to enjoy later?

Yes. For the first time you will be able to record most television or radio program at home to enjoy at a later time. This will allow you to watch or listen to a program as it was made available to the public at the time of the original broadcast.


•How long can I keep the recording?

The recording must be deleted after one use. It will not be possible to use the recording over and over again.

•What can I do with recorded program?

You can watch or listen to the recording with your family or friends. It will not be permitted to sell or hire a recording or to play it at school or work or in any kind of public audience.


•Can I make a compilation CD by copying tracks from CDs that I own to a blank CD?

Yes, if you copy the tracks in a different format to the original, such as making a compilation CD in MP3 format.

•Can I make a \ufffdback-up\ufffd copy of a CD in case the original is lost or damaged?

No. A format-shift copy must be in a different audio format to the original.