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Hollywood loses final appeal in piracy case

74 points| matthewsinclair | 14 years ago |smh.com.au | reply

19 comments

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[+] ajtaylor|14 years ago|reply
I've been in Australia for nearly a year now, and the dearth of movies/videos available to buy/rent here is astounding. If you're lucky, a TV show will be re-broadcast here a year after it airs elsewhere. But the channel will probably butcher it with editing and additional commercials.

After talking with friends here, I can honestly say if the content was legally available the studios would have many, many customers. And please don't try to charge us 25% more. We know all about buying online and do price comparisons.

[+] craigvn|14 years ago|reply
Spot on. Piracy is not because people are not willing to pay, it is because it is the only option to get content without waiting months after it's US release. When is Game of Thrones on Aussie TV? I would pay $5 to download each episode legit, if I could.
[+] chewxy|14 years ago|reply
Juxtaposition these:

> iiNet CEO Michael Malone welcomed the ruling and said Hollywood should now focus on increasing the availability of lawful content in a timely and affordable manner. "We have consistently said we are eager to work with the studios to make their very desirable material legitimately available to a waiting customer base - and that offer remains the same today," he said.

vs

> Michael Speck, a copyright expert who ran the music industry's case against Kazaa, said: "In losing the case [the film industry] still got from the courts a clear road map for how to successfully prosecute ISPs in the future and the next ISP that is prosecuted will find it almost impossible to avoid liability."

You'd think they'd learn. Sigh.

[+] bitwize|14 years ago|reply
"If you strike me down I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine!"
[+] ww520|14 years ago|reply
Is he saying that to justify his job? His organization has lost the case, after substantial legal cost. His saying sounds like a spin to cover their ass from their paying supporters.
[+] chris_wot|14 years ago|reply
I purchased the Dragon Book for approx $80 (US) on Kindle. They then told me that because I was not from the U.S. that I couldn't get it. They just don't want my money. You go figure what I did next...
[+] Joakal|14 years ago|reply
AFACT (Hollywood) are going to use this iiNet win as justification in the upcoming Copyright reform. Already, AFACT have used a similar statement by the Attorney General's rationale for the start of copyright reform.

AFACT:

Today’s decision by the High Court exposes the failure of copyright law to keep pace with the online environment and the need for Government to act, leading film and television industry companies said following the announcement of the decision.

http://www.afact.org.au/index.php/news/high_court_decision_s...

Attorney General:

“The draft terms of reference reflect the fact that technology is constantly evolving and testing the boundaries of copyright law,” Ms Roxon said. “In our fast changing, technologically driven world, it is important to ensure our copyright laws are keeping pace with change and able to respond to future challenges.”

http://www.alrc.gov.au/news-media/2011-2012/copyright-inquir...

If you want to highlight how you think Copyright Act should be, here's a source I wrote that's pro-Internet: https://pay.reddit.com/r/AUInternetAccess/comments/ruala/cop...

[+] klez|14 years ago|reply
> the failure of copyright law to keep pace with the online environment

It is ironic to hear this coming from people that don't seem to be able to keep pace with the online environment...

[+] Peaker|14 years ago|reply
The only way to effectively enforce copyright in the digital age is to monitor digital communications between innocent people. Some call that a police state.

I'm glad the attempts to create a police state were delayed, for now.