iPod owners in Australia can breath a sigh of relief now that a proposed copyright law has been amended so that owning an MP3 player, DVD recorder, or other digital recording devices won’t be a criminal offense. The amended bill was voted on by both houses of Parliament, and goes into effect on January 1, 2007, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
An earlier version of the bill fell under extensive criticism because it allowed iPods, home computers, video players and similar devices to be considered “devices of copyright theft.” It also prohibited singing songs without paying licensing fees – even to the point of singing “Happy Birthday” in a public place.
The amended version of the bill permits the use of iPods, time-shifting recording devices like TiVo, playing region encoded DVDs from outside Australia, and recording yourself lip-syncing to commercial recordings. Australia’s Attorney General, Philip Ruddock, has posted a FAQ explaining what is and isn’t allowed.