Andrew, Lachlan and Han ONLINE PIRACY

 Copyright infringement, or ‘piracy’, is the unauthorized use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to spread the information contained within copyrighted works.  Piracy refers to copying intellectual property without written permission from the copyright holder, which is typically a publisher or other business representing or assigned by the work's creator.  It also refers to acts intentionally committed for financial gain, though more recently, copyright holders have described online copyright infringement, particularly in relation to peer- to-peer file sharing networks, as ‘piracy’. PIRACY

 You can copy a videotape you own onto a DVD for your own use.  The provision does not apply to an infringing videotape.  If you download a movie from the Internet for free, it may be a pirate copy, which means you infringe copyright by downloading it. INDIVIDUALS RIGHTS CONCERNING ONLINE PIRACY

- Copyright law in Australia is contained in the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) and in decisions of courts. - Under the Act, copyright protection is automatic. There is no registration procedure in Australia for copyright protection. In a video, the following elements are usually protected by copyright: the script or screenplay; each piece of music on the soundtrack; and the moving images and sounds. - In most cases, there will be other copyright material as well: for example, lyrics to the music; photographs; artwork in the titles or credits; pre-existing sound recordings of bands; and dance sequences. - DVDs will contain all of this material, as well as computer software. A DVD will also often include additional film footage and other materials. COPYRIGHTS IN A VIDEO OR DVD

Current Australian laws allow Individuals to:  Individuals can copy a range of copyright material they own for their “private and domestic use”, and record from radio and TV. The exceptions vary according to the type of material – what you can do under the provisions with a book you own, for example, is different from what you can do with one of your CDs or a film. The provisions don ʼ t apply to every type of copyright material – for example, none of the “private use” provisions deal with copying DVDs or sheet music. In some cases, an agreement with the copyright owner or supplier of the material may limit your ability to rely on the private copying provisions. RECORDING SONGS AND TV SHOWS

 Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) – Covers all issues regarding Copyright Law within Australia and has been amended numerous times since its implementation.  Copyright Amendment Act 2006 (Cth) - Made changes required by the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement. In particular, it strengthened anti-circumvention laws, for the first time making it illegal in Australia to circumvent technical measures used by copyright owners to protect access to their works. CURRENT INTERNET PIRACY LAWS

 Online piracy is a very major topic as many people within modern Australia pirate movies and music from online Peer-to-Peer sharing sites, such as The Pirate Bay.  It is seen as widely accepted in the general population as many people do download software, movies, TV shows and music.  Many attempts from major international companies and other countries’ governments have occurred to try and stop online piracy and prosecute major abuses of the sharing capabilities of the internet. CURRENT STATUS OF ONLINE PIRACY

Hollywood Studios Lose Australian Internet Piracy Case -Actors and studios in Hollywood taking Australian internet provider, iinet to court over illegal downloading of movies. Studios included Warner Brothers, Disney and Fox. -Studios presented that their copyright rights were being infringed by iinet -Said that iinet should be punished for illegal downloading by its customers -Australian Federal court said companies like iinet could not be held accountable for internet piracy -first time a court had ruled on whether an ISP could be held responsible for copyright violations by its users. CASE STUDY

-Even though the case was won by iinet, the judges hope that anti-piracy laws will soon follow -The need for piracy laws was recognized by the high court judges, and know that legislative change is now required to deal with the widespread copyright infringements occurring across Australia -iinet say that copyright could be protected by making online entertainment purchases cheaper and more accessible CASE STUDY

Australian Police Accused of Mass Software Piracy -Australian police are currently involved in a massive piracy lawsuit -Software company Micro Focus is claiming that the police are making unauthorized use of its ViewNow software, which they use to access the COPS criminal intelligence database -It is alleged that the police shared the proprietary software with third parties, such as the Ombudsman’s Office and the Police Integrity Commission, all without permission from the software company. -Micro Focus is fighting the case in court and is demanding at $10 million in damager CASE STUDY

Internet Providers Unveil Piracy Crackdown Plan -Australia’s five major internet service providers have revealed their plans to crack down on online piracy -They plan to send warning notices to suspected illegal downloaders while assisting rights holders to pursue serial offenders through the courts. -The alliance says its plan protects the many internet users who "may not be aware that their online activity could be illegal". - Each ISP would only be obligated to process up to 100 copyrightinfringement notices each month, with the cost- effectiveness of this approach to be measured at the end of the trial. CASE STUDY

-Many high court judges that have been involved in online piracy cases have recognised that there is a need for piracy laws -They know that legislative change is now required to deal with the widespread copyright infringements occurring across Australia from the illegal downloading of pirated software -Various internet service providers say that copyright could be protected by making online entertainment purchases cheaper and more accessible FUTURE OF ONLINE PIRACY