A new copyright law that’s under proposal in Australia could potentially lead to criminal action against iPod and other portable media player users. The International Herald Tribune reports that the proposed law substantially lowers the threshold for criminal infringement on copyrights in Australia.
The nonprofit Online free speech group, Electronic Frontiers Australia, commented to the government that the bill’s wording allows for personal items line iPods, MP3 players, video players and home computers to be considered devices for copyright theft. The group stated “Section 132(3) makes possession of those devices a criminal offense.”
Australia’s Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock, states that the bill is designed to punish large-scale movie and music pirates, and not individuals.
But Brian Fitzgerald, the head of Queensland University’s law school, disagrees. He commented that the changes “have the potential to make everyday Australians in homes and businesses across the country into criminals on a scale that we have not witnessed before.”
Australia’s new copyright bill is being debated by Parliament now, and is expected to be voted on some time next year.