Law in Australia is like a mirage in the desert. A caravan of legislative drafters and government copyright lawyers arrive at the oasis of sunshine a light only to find that the water has moved again to the distant horizon.
Last week’s case which revealed a loophole enabling the bootlegging of live-to-air performances of major pop stars was but a small sample of a quarter of a century of legislation being unable to catch up with technology. Moreover, when its belated attempts finally hit the statute book, the result has invariably been a miasma of detail through which lawyers can wade to find unintended loopholes. And thus a small Adelaide company is able to produce CDs of live performances of overseas stars without paying royalties or a fair return to the artists.
This loophole can probably be closed quite quickly, especially as major recording studios (with their legal and financial clout) are involved. However, a more serious piece of oasis movement is about to happen.
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