🚀 go-pugleaf

In aus.computers.linux Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> wrote:

> netvegetable quoted:
>> 
>> The US-Australia Free Trade Agreement poses a grave threat to the entire
>> Australian software development industry due to the legal framework on
>> intellectual property which is required upon adoption of the pact, the
>> Open Source Industry Association and Linux Australia have warned.
>> 

> Can anyone point to anything specific in legislation before the 
> Australian Parliament that is a source of concern in respect of software?

Have a look over the the Australian "Digital Agenda" review which was happening
just before the FTA came in. The review submissions contained a whole heap
of stuff relating to:

* ISP liability

* ISP user account uncertainty

* trade uncertainty, difficulty in determining the legal status of projects

* handling of private registration details when a "technical protection
  measure" requires a user to register

* forcing a user to identify themselves online (e.g. processor ID, using
  MAC address in IPv6 packets, cookies, etc)

* marketplace competition in the presence of protected interface standards

* loss of consumer rights when they purchase a product in good faith
  and find themselves unable to use that product under some conditions
  (e.g. playing a DVD movie on Linux)

* using a "technical protection measure" to open a back-door which is used
  to monitor user activity and/or modify the user's system

By the way, the results and recommendations of that review have basically
been ignored by Howard in his excitement over getting the FTA happening
before the election.

Also, check out the DMCA stuff in the USA, plenty has been written about
the problems and the IP elements of this FTA are yet another attempt to
foist DMCA restrictions onto Australian citizens.

	- Tel