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Australia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement Addresses Intellectual Property

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 10, 2004 - 9:35am.
Sydney -- The recently announced Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement includes an Intellectual Property Chapter that will serve to strengthen protection for copyright owners and enhance intellectual property enforcement in the country on a par with the U.S. The agreement will lengthen the term of copyrights in Australia, as well as create an "expeditious process that allows for copyright owners to engage with Internet Service Providers and subscribers to deal with allegedly infringing copyright material on the Internet" -- similar to the process recently used by the U.S. record industry to prosecute individual file-swappers. Also included are provisions to tighten controls on circumventing technological protection of copyright material -- with "public interest exceptions;" an agreement on standards of copyright protection; and increased penalties for satellite TV and other copyright infringers. The agreement comes as a result of U.S. efforts to bring international intellectual property laws closer to the terms of its own Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
tags: Australia | U.S | Agreement | Intellectual |

EU Postpones Vote on Intellectual Property Rights Law

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2003 - 7:04am.
Brussels -- The European Parliament this week decided to postpone a vote on a controversial intellectual property rights bill until Nov. 4. The bill, which is backed by the likes of Microsoft and eBay and contains provisions similar to those of the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act, is designed to fight piracy, yet critics claim that it would criminalize many harmless activities and undermine competition in Europe. The latest proposal has drawn a "dismayed" reaction from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) as well, although for different reasons. The IFPI thinks the current bill is not tough enough to fight the growing "epidemic of counterfeiting."
tags: EU | Vote | Intellectual | Rights Law |