Comments on: Copyright (New Technologies) Bill

By: peteremcc

peteremcc — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:02:12 +0000

While the ammended bill is still disappointing, the simple fact is that it doesn’t matter.

Nobody is going to follow the new laws, just as nobody followed the old ones.

The people writing the laws don’t understand the issues and the people making the content don’t understand their audience.

By: PaulL

PaulL — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 08:29:18 +0000

Andrew, I would have thought you had a right to copy the vinyl to CD if you wished, but not to require them to give you a CD at cost. Besides being impractical, there would be some argument that the two were not the same work – the CD is usually remastered etc etc.

What I see here is the usual govt approach of making things illegal and then telling us “but we won’t enforce that unless your offense is egregious.” I just don’t believe them – if you don’t plan to enforce the law, then don’t make the law.

By: Andrew Bannister

Andrew Bannister — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 04:58:00 +0000

When I buy music, what do I actually buy? I always assumed it was the right to listen to that music.

I have a lot of vinyl which I would like to get on CD. If I paid for the right to listen to that music, I should be able to trade that vinyl in for a CD version of the same item, at the cost of the plastic disc. How does the law view this version of format shifting?

Also, I currently own the same Singing Nun album on vinyl, tape, CD and MP3. I have now paid for that same album three times.

By: Graeme Edgeler

Graeme Edgeler — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 04:44:04 +0000

“maintains that one can only keep a recording of a TV show for as long as is reasonable necessary to view it at a more convenient time.”

Is this the case, or was that only for shows you can get on the Internet (for example though tvnzondemand)? Or are these separate things?

Personally, I’d see a benefit to giving greater copyrights in a TV broadcast if that was to be followed by a DVD release. A legislative incentive to not screw over Region 4 would be great!

By: Eric Crampton

Eric Crampton — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 04:26:17 +0000

Have they ever enforced the “don’t keep a recorded show too long” provision?

I like that they’re keeping provision for folks to have “region-free” DVD players…

By: David Farrar

David Farrar — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 04:09:38 +0000

Yes and there might be some big queues at the library

By: anonymouse

anonymouse — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 04:07:07 +0000

Are we still allowed to Rock on up to the National Library and ask them to circumvent the TPM and format shift my copy protected CD on to my Ipod for me

[provided it is not forbidden by a big EULA]