NEW machines installed in Adelaide convenience stores make the illegal copying of the latest CDs and computer software - which costs artists and software designers millions of dollars - as easy as buying a loaf of bread.
It also makes legal copying of CDs you already own, for backups or use in the car, for example, or of your band's demos, or whatever, easy. But we all know that consumers have no legitimate reason to copy CDs.
The machines are able to operate under the same legislation as public photocopiers, where the burden of responsibility for copyright breaches lies with the user and not the owner of the equipment.
How much do you want to bet that there'll be legislation in parliament to remedy this promptly?
What, copying CDs? Public photocopiers? Or just copying CDs you do not own? Does France have fair-use rights to making backups for personal use of your own CDs?
Or are you referring to the EU Directive on Copyright, which is a nasty piece of work indeed (though not yet law, as far as I know)?
I've now seen these in Melbourne. Of course, the music industry is definitely already getting a cut of the money via existing legislation.
In France, it's already prohibited by Law :-)