In Australia, it’s been techncally illegal to record a program for later viewing, or do other sorts of activities we Americans take for granted under the Sony ruling and with fair use. The Australian government is proposing legislation, written by a major Digital Rights Management (DRM) consortium, that would remove that illegality (which nobody paid attention to), but replace it with … well, just what Big Media wants to see implemented globally.
Per the FAQ on the Australian Attorney General’s site:
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.Can I make a collection of copied television and radio programs?
No. You will not be able to burn a collection (or library) of your favourite programs on DVD or CD to keep. (It will be permitted to record a program on DVD or CD but only temporarily until you watch or listen to it for the first time.)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 give a recording I have made to a friend?
No. A recording is for the personal use of the person who made it. You can invite a friend over to watch or listen to your recording but you can’t lend or give it to a friend to take home with them.
This is the sort of thing Big Media would love to see in the US, and has been pushing in a dozen different legislative and technical directions to do: limit recording and replay of media, first by law, then by technology to enforce the law.
So, consider — I record an episode of, say, Doctor Who onto tape (or DVD). Under the proposed Australian law, I could watch it — once. After that, I’d be obliged by law (or my DVR would be pre-programmed) to delete the recording. And loaning the tape to a friend would be absolutely out of the question.
Further, similar restrictions apply, in the FAQ to CDs.
Doubtless if they could figure out a way to do this with books, they’d impose the same restrictions. Which sounds like a fabulous argument against e-books.
Hopefully the Australian people, if not the Australian government, will be smarter than this.
(via BoingBoing)