“Australia’s million iPod users are all breaking the law. A Herald Sun investigation has found — despite the popularity of the pastime — no legal method exists for Australian iPod owners to fill their player with music. And they could face court with anti-piracy groups refusing to rule out suing users of the popular player,” Liam Houlihan reports for The Herald Sun.
“None of the tunes available from legal download internet sites are compatible with the Apple iPod music players. The common method of ‘ripping’ tunes on to an iPod from the user’s own CD collection is illegal — as a breach of copyright laws. And unlike Britain and the US, Australia does not yet have an Apple iTunes store for iPod-compatible legal downloads. An estimated million people nationwide have already bought and put music on their iPods — the most popular model of MP3 player,” Houlihan reports. “But all methods of filling the player with music are illegal, which means Australia’s hundreds of thousands of iPod users are all technically criminals.”
Full article here.
Near the end of the article, iPod owner Claire Cohen is quoted, “When I got my iPod I got online ready to pay. Hours later and after being devastated to find out Apple doesn’t care about iPod owners, I had to give up.” Cohen’s wrong. It’s reportedly Warner Music Group and Sony BMG Music that are holding up Apple’s iTunes Music Store Australia. It’s Warner Music Group and Sony BMG Music that don’t care about iPod owners, certainly not Apple.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Sony and Warner holding out on Apple iTunes Music Store Australia – September 08, 2005
Apple iPod sales humming right along in Australia – July 05, 2005
ha!!!!
being devastated to find out Apple doesn’t care about iPod owners, I had to give up.” Cohen’s wrong
—
Apple’s not a record label…
Ever heard of ripping CD’s?
Ah yes.. legal music.. don’t blame Apple for your own theft lol
Rack off. We’re convicts. Blame the Poms.
Doesnt matter about the iTMS, it’s the screwed up copyright law they have down there that people should be angry about. I mean, what are they going to do, rebuy all of the music they already own on CD through the iTunes store? I dont think so.
These people needs to get off their butts and get the law changed.
MW ‘such’ as in we need to be careful or SUCH a law may find its way onto the books in the US too.
I can buy a CD and put that on my ipod. As far as i know that is legal. I mean that’s the whole point of the pod.
ok got that out of my system……
a quote
“Speaking on condition of anonymity, one label executive said Jobs’ desire to keep pricing at 99 cents had a very simple explanation: ‘It helps him sell iPods. When he started iTunes, he broke through that psychological barrier that consumers had and made a lot of dough doing it, but it seems like he has a monopoly and he’s become the Wal-Mart of the Internet, and he wants to retain that monopoly.'”
errrr….. right……. as i said elsewhere i cant believe anyone bought an ipod just to access itunes.
this is disingenuous to the point of criminality. i fear a period of great turmoil and the forces of darkness may yet prevail……..
but the vistory will be phyrric and all will loose.
allah is great (but are beards really necessary?)
Oh sorry my mistake. I was unaware that ripping my own personal CDs was illegal. So why is the ipod not a prohibited import or something. What do they expext? People are gonna fill 60gigs with voice recordings?
Did you guys who commented about ripping a cd to the ipod not even read the article above? READ the entire thing next time before you spout off crap.. it’s ILLEGAL in Australia to rip songs from a CD! comprehend??
MW=leave; I think i’ll leave my brain at home to rest today!
I don’t know why this might be surprising – after all, Austrailia was colonized by the British as a Penal Colony – criminal activity is in their heritage ; )
The above is meant as a joke – but I don’t blame them for violating this law.
Hey!!! some of my best friends are criminals!!
allah is great ( but pavarotti is greater)
Right then. I gets me an iPod and rip me own CDs and winds up in the clink.
So, the govner is making tax dollars from me from a product I buy in which I commit a crime if I use it as intended, yet I’ms the one who goes to jail?
If this is absolutely true…
— no legal method exists for Australian iPod owners to fill their player with music. —
Then gee whizz Apple Centers, Myers, Dick Smith and all the other re sellers, and the purchases of ipods are in fact breaking the law, and undoubtedly should be thrown in amongst the rapists and murderers at our local correctional facility.
I think they’d have a much easier task on there hands if they just got out a copy of the law and bottle of white out/tippex and just make a few little changes.
Their legal system is upside down. Probably due to them being on the bottom side of the planet.
So can I fly to New Zealand and fill it there? Will i be allowed to bring it back into the country?
Actually I can see someone setting up business on an island somewhere loading iPods for a living. Not a bad life.
We don’t actually use our ipods because we all know they’re illegal to use. But we do like to look cool. They can’t take that away.
Now the music labels just need to fight to raise the price on iTunes so we can all go back to being criminals…
what a shame Australia has been dealt some very draconian laws.
Me I’m a Kiwi so i have great symathy for my Aussie friends.
It’s time their government got a life and did the decent thing by them.
I mean what a stupid law.. I cant copy my own CD..
prophet loss: You are a stupid SOB. Stop using a name for God in vain you idiot. Arab speaking Christians, Jews, and Muslims all use the word Allah for God. Have some respect. You are not funny or cute.
Well, at least the iPod nano is easy to hide (or flush down the toilet) when the law comes knocking at the door.
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ones patience is rewarded.
if i said GOD was this, that or the other would you have complained?
where is the lack of respect? why can one not mock the things one loves or respect? love is so often equivocal and ambiguous.
and yes i know its a generic term, thats the whole point: its generic but not in the minds of so many.
As to being a SOB well i am more QUIET WHIMPER in the privacy of my room.
allah is great ( but greater is the desire to use his name to hate)
l
I use my iPod to listen to Podcasts, so ppphhhhhhhhhhttttt!!!!
and the followers swallow.
iDon’t… I think uDo.
In Australia it is legal to buy/sell bongs in a tobacconist. However it is illegal to use the bong you just legaly purchased ???? It is for ornamental purposes only. Don’t tell anyone but, we use it anyway. And we don’t have to bore out the stem either, (as in an ornamental firearm) they come fully functional.
Nice One Rainy Day. People are gonna look pretty funny at airports with white earphones plugged into there ass (where they’ve stashed their nano).
I finally figured something out – When Monkeyboy accused iPod owners of being criminals, he wasn’t lying – he just forgot to mention that he was only talking about the Australians.
Hey Austrailia was a British penal colony, so what’s the problem?
Isn’t it possible that those millions of Aussie iPod owners have put copyright free music on their iPods?
How about something they created in Garageband?
There is a lot of free content, like Podcasts from other websites.
Stupid record labels are at fault for making aussie criminals.
Auntie Jack – if this were the situation all manufacturers of radar detection systems would be in trouble in the US too. They are legal to buy, not legal to use.
On the can’t rip tunes in Australia. Is this for real? How about making cassette tapes? Is that illegal too? How about VCRs and taping TV shows for cripes sakes? This is just too bizarre.
I guess if they want to stay legal all the Ozzie iPodders have to just use podcasts or http://magnatune.com/ or roll their own in Garage band. That is pretty bogus.
BTW, if you are in Australia and have a friend in the US or one with a US address credit card, you can have a friend send you an email gift ceritficate and then just give a US address (and no credit card info) when you sign up and it will work. Anybody, with a friend in Australia, this is something nice you could do to help them out until their government and the Music labels get their shi*t together.
Damm, Warner and Sony are holding up iTMS Austraila and now iTMS Japan.
What frigging bastards, I’ll never buy another Warner or Sony item again unless they come around.
Gosh I hope hurricane Rita hits where Katrina already did it’s damage.
I would like to see NO under water again, but at least by now everyone is evacuated. 🙁
“So can I fly to New Zealand and fill it there? Will i be allowed to bring it back into the country?”
Nope – we’ve got the same idiotic laws here too.
From: god sucks…
Sep 22, 05 – 01:23 am
and the followers swallow.
iDon’t… I think uDo.
——————-
they do? damn what a fool i have been
allah is great (but the lies are greater)
And this is why I now live in America, even with all it’s troubles (yea, I guess I swapped).
Besides the out of date copyright laws (who knew??), they have massive taxes aka “stamp duty” (on houses), tickets for speeding 3km/h over the limit. Not to mention the dropping standard of health care and their Lets increase the taxes on the “rich” (i.e. approx. middle class) if they don’t have private health insurance (so you get less care for more $). Oh, and tell me why in 5 years, landline telephone rental has nearly tripled? Oh that’s right, the government wants to sell off the remaining share of the major telco (Tel$tra) so charge more to make it into a profitable business. Why is petrol (gas) $1.30+ a litre? Btw, the top tax bracket comes in at a moderately low annual wage (AU$70K? Ok, it’s just been raised to AU$95K, but there’s still a huge sum to pay along with the %).
Why does electronics cost so much there? Much of it comes from Asia,… like, right next door.
They have some great universities, but are user-pays like America (although not nearly as expensive I don’t think.) so not everyone can afford to go. Of course, prior to 1989 they were basically free, so the politicians who decided we had to pay for uni’s all had a free education. Funny that.
They also have no real entrepreneur system – VC’s and all that – so you’re on your own, until you’re successful, then when you’re known the country’s proud of you. But before that? Huh! Bad luck. It’s turning into a country of sports stars and farmers. Anything else, you’re just a scumbag (yea, ok, I’m exaggerating). Notice how many well known Aussies didn’t make their money there? They usually went to America or England. Esp. those in the entertainment industry, but also a great many scientists work abroad. They call it the “brain drain”, and it’s been going on for years – decades in fact.
Why are engineers, and other technical professions treated with contempt by business owners? They should be respected but aren’t. Who is respected in Australia? Sports stars mainly. Actors – big deal – no one really important. No wonder the scientists leave.
The Government apparently doesn’t know why in a country of around 20 million people, 1 million Australians live overseas. Funny, because I reckon I’ve got a pretty good freakin’ idea why (see above). When they call up and ask me, I’ll pass on this link.
I love Australia, it’s beautiful natural environment, friendly people, has some good cities with good transport, and bonus – you don’t get shot on freeways as per L.A.. Plus it is a multi-cultural society without a real lower class from any one country heritage (unlike the US with Hispanics, Cubans, and African-Americans.)
Seriously, the Government together with big business are screwing things up big time and taxing and charging Australian’s too much for just about everything with minimal in return. They are also very disrespectful to just about anyone with half a brain. They look to America and follow their models for far too many things, and end up screwing things up because America is 15x bigger (population wise), or maybe the American model was just plain wrong.
… and that’s why the music industry needs to pull their heads in.
haha.
Ok, flame on!
Oh,and Tel$tra, 512kbps is not Broadband.
😀
DAVO, sorry buddy, we have the same crap law in NZ. It’s illegal for my iPod to be filled with all of the 2000 songs I have so far, even though I bought them all legally on CD format, and still own the CDs. This is called “illegal conversion” here, converting the format from one to another, eg, CD to Tape, MP3 to CD, CD to MP3. Stupid Stupid archaic laws.
And greedy ignorant music labels. If they would just co-operate with Apple on the set pricing and enable them to provide music, and then if they would make a small adjustment to the old out-of-date laws so that putting purchased music on MP3 players is legal (ever heard of FAIR USE, govts and record co.s???), then they would end up making more money in the end!
*Throws up hands in futile display of frustration*
“The Government apparently doesn’t know why in a country of around 20 million people, 1 million Australians live overseas”
Yes we do, now if we could just get another 9 million to follow, we could stop this god-forsaken spot all turning into desert.
Former Aussie. Some good points there. We have a lot of the same problems here.
And I wanted to clarify my remarks above. Or rather amend: Not all of my 2000 songs are illegally on my iPod. There are about 20 tunes that I made myself in Garageband, so I guess I can do what the hell I want with them, right? Or is that illegal too here? I did “convert” them from an aiff to an mp3…
Grr. No, this is really pissing me off.
When I go jogging or cycling, I don’t want to take a big stupid CD player. I don’t want to use tapes. The format that is logical is what is current, namely an iPod and digital format. This crap law in NZ and Australia has got to go. Sure I’m breaking it already, along with thousands of NZers and millions of Aussies, but in order to not break the law, here are the options:
1/ listen to the radio.
2/ carry a goddam DISCMAN for chrissake.
3/ not listen to music at all.
I’m not happy with any of those options.
1/ Radio is crap. Too many ads, the DJs all suck.
2/ I can’t carry a discman and jog. To big, to bulky, it skips.
3/ Stuff the third option. Music is a part of my life.
So, I’ll carry on breaking the goddam law until “they” wake up and realise we’re past 1984, and times have moved on since they made up these stupid laws.
*heaves a sigh*
Phew, glad to get that rant out of my system. Cheers.
Jack Andrade–
untie Jack – if this were the situation all manufacturers of radar detection systems would be in trouble in the US too. They are legal to buy, not legal to use.
You’re wrong about radar detectors in the US. In the US, a radar is classified by the FCC as a radio receiver. It is a radio because it receives only. Jammers on the other hand, are transmitters, and are illegal, because to transmit a signal, you have to have a special license. But radio is free and legal. No one can do anything about it.
“….Isn’t it possible that those millions of Aussie iPod owners have put copyright free music on their iPods?
How about something they created in Garageband?…”
To the other Mac Dude….
Good thought …. but lest we forget … Garage Band only works on Macs …
iPods work on that other platform …
It is a shame that our laws prohibit the transfer of digital music to devices such as iPods. Hopefully this will change some time soon.
MDN: Is there any reason why crappy pop up ads are appearing again when I’m using Safari 2.0.1 and have ad blocking on? I think you need to check your advertisement provider and fix it. You’ll piss us all off again, like last year, and many will leave.
And get rid of those bloody jamster ads, having them play their crap music only makes the average punter want to delete you from their bookmarks.
So what do you want them to do?
Please have your professional advice.
the world is going to S**t i’m moving to the moon
Now the secret is out, we all really bought our iPods to listen to Podcasts and, Podcast safe music.
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If record companies made it illegal to listen to CD music you purchased on your portable mp3 player, who is the REAL criminal?
so how hard is it to purchase MP3 tracks online and then import them into iTunes..?
Or am I just being simplistic… ;o)
Interesting comment from ‘Former Aussie’. I think you have a good point, and living in Britain, what you say is applying here too. The “little shits” as I call them are more and more running the place. Speeding tickets for 4mph over the limit, stealth taxes and a government now employing one in 4 of the population. The little shits are taking over; no honour, no integrity, just little ‘jobsworths’ exercising their ill-deserved authority on decent people. Is the US the answer? Certainly Canada isn’t.
And just out of solidarity, here in the UK it is also illegal to rip CDs whether you are a private individual or a ripping service.
Which means, by by estimates, that around 6 million iPod users in the UK are breaking the law even when they fill their iPods with their own legally owned music.
However, because the record industry knows it would look stupid dragging millions of quite respectable people through the court, it chooses not prosecute the private individuals. Instead, it has – according to people I know – decided to go after the ripping services.
As a result, the ripping services in the UK which would be quite legal to use in the USA are very likely to shut down because of the onerous condition being placed upon them by the record industry which apparently wants 30%+ of their gross income, plus DRM plus a quarterly statement of what CDs were ripped for what customers down to the track level.
And that doesn’t even include the music publishing industry getting its snout in the trough.
The music industry: like the Mafia only with silly haircuts and louder clothes.
What the music labels don’t get -and Jobs does- is that as the world moves to the iPod it is going to buy, yet again, all the old music it already bought up to 4 times before..on 78’s, LP’s, tapes and CD’s. The prices for music being bought on its 4th format should be nominal – especially as this distribution method carries zero cost to the labels.
There needs to be whole re-think of how the business works…
Fly or seil to Neo-Caledonia. It’s stil a French colony where you can buy on French ITMS.
It’s also a nice place.
so? everyone downloads music illegaly, why pay musiclabels and artists who are already multimillionairs more money when they’ve a$$fucked us when we couldn’t download?
they deserve it, greedy bastards!
I live in the UK so am not affected, but I agree with ‘new zealand’, forget the retarded laws and listen to whatever you want on your iPod. They can get f**ked.
Who’s going to check every iPod for source of their music?
=)
LG
if i buy a music cd i consider it mine so i can put it on any of my stereo systems or mp3 player if i want to and no onecan stop me.
Re “Former aussie – unhappy with the state of things”
Hey mate – I’m not going to flame you, but I will point out that you are certainly very British in your heritage (Australians refer to the Brits as “Whinging Poms”).
1)”tickets for speeding 3km/h over the limit.”
I don’t know ONE person that has EVER copped a fine for 3ks over!? If you do – then they must have been a prick to the cop that pulled them over. I have been caught doing 70km/h in a 50km/h zone and talked my way out of a ticket/fine.
2) “Not to mention the dropping standard of health care”
The STANDARD hasn’t dropped, however it is no longer FREE and as well funded by government through taxpayer funds. Australia still has an amazing level of healthcare for ALL citizens, but increasingly we recognise that it has to be a bit more USER PAYS for those that can afford it.
And here lies your logic flaw. Your MAIN points are about HIGH TAXES!!! How do you suppose mate that we maintain a UNIVERSAL healthcare system for all AND lower taxes??? Tooth fairy I suppose?
3) “Why is petrol (gas) $1.30+ a litre?”.
Here you prove slight ignorance. It is WIDELY known that the US SUBSIDISES petrol (gas) prices compared to the REAL cost. Petrol in Australia is CHEAPER than most of the world. This is because Australia, like America is a LARGE country (in terms of SPACE) and so road transport DISTANCES are a LOT higher than in Europe. There is NO doubt that we pay more than America, however this relates to the POPULATION dilemma, which I will mention later!
4) “Why does electronics cost so much there? Much of it comes from Asia,… like, right next door”
You do understand Currency EXHANGE rates don’t you? Also in global business it is easier for FOREIGN based companies to RIP OFF Australian consumers (where are they going to go to get an alternative?). Apple Australia was guilty of this. When the Aussie $ rose from US$0.58c to approx. US$0.70c the prices for Apple hardware remained the same. At one point it was CHEAPER for and Australian to buy a return flight to LA (with a Disney Land package holiday) and buy a 17-inch Powerbook in America. Somehow I don’t think the Australian people were responsible for this. Do you?
5) “They have some great universities, but are user-pays like America (although not nearly as expensive I don’t think.) so not everyone can afford to go. Of course, prior to 1989 they were basically free, so the politicians who decided we had to pay for uni’s all had a free education. Funny that”
Again on the one hand complaining about HIGH TAXES next manic minute complaining that taxpayer subsidised FREE education is no longer available. Once again the Tooth Fairy is failing to cough up in your magical world. Oh and by the way, Australian kids CAN afford to go to UNI. It is RUBBISH that some can’t afford to go. EVERY Australian can go to Uni and pay a PORTION of their fees (currently about 15-30% of the total cost, depending on the course!!!). If they can’t afford these fees they can get an INTEREST FREE loan from the government (however indexed to cost of living/inflation increases), which doesn’t need to be repaid AT ALL if your income doesn’t ever reach a certain level. Yeah this is SO SO unfair – PLEASE!?
6) Your whole “brain drain”, “lack of VC” etc etc.
Mate we have a population of $20 million people (as you noted) in a country only marginally SMALLER than the US. The INFRASTRUCTURE costs in Australia are very high per capita. As a result in order to provide basic services (Roads, Water, Health, Education etc) you only have a small population to draw revenues from. So yes it isn’t as good as America, but with 290 million people, America is ALWAYS going to have more access to funds than Australia. Sure there are smaller countries with comparable GDP etc, but again they are SMALL in population AND size, so transport costs and INFRASTRUCTURE costs etc are lower.
cont…
So sure things are not so great on some measures, however ALL things considered Australia is better off than almost every other country on the planet. We aren’t the richest, but our poor aren’t the poorest either. We are on the other side of the world, but when you consider some of the “neighbours” elsewhere in the world this is a VERY mixed blessing!!!
Sure taxes are higher than in the US, but hey at least you don’t need to save your entire life to send your kids to University (College). And despite what some left wing nuts tell you, NO Australian is priced out of university if their willing to WORK and don’t see it as a FREE gift.
Again taxes are higher than the US, but 20 million people need to provide a BETTER ACCESS healthcare than in the US. I know that if I have a heart attack my insurance level will decide if I get treated. Sure if you have ELECTIVE surgery you have to wait, but for emergencies access is fine.
Oh and by the way, if you truly were an Aussie, you would realise that the POST Katrina fiasco (in terms of slow response) would have NEVER happened in Australia. We don’t have a 3rd class of citizen. (you note this difference yourself, that and the lack of random shootings)
So your “incredible” intellect wasn’t respected in Australia. Well if your post is any indication of it, I’m sorry, but I am not surprised….
Also regarding the 1 million Australians overseas. MOST return after MILKING the best of the employment opportunities in other countries and MOST bring their accumulated wealth back with them (both intellectual and financial). So in the end, this is HARDLY the problem that armchair analyst make it out to be. In fact in the end that is 5% of the Australian population taking some of the BEST jobs away from other people in THEIR OWN country, a figure we in NO WAY REPAY to citizens of other countries.
However the biggest issue with your post is the fact that after bagging Australia compared to America, you then move on (again in a VERY MANIC manner) to indicate that Australia’s problem is it is trying to be America and maybe even America has it wrong (return to my accusation of constant whinger).
So Australia sucks and you moved to America, which you think possibly sucks in its own way too…mmmm what is the pattern here?
On behalf of the Australians I know mate, you’re exactly the type of person we don’t want here, so I’m glad you’ve found another country to bitch about.
Now of course I expect charges of an inferiority complex. To this I say you are mistaken. Re-read above, I clearly have a SUPERIORITY complex
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My 2 cents (US1.5c!!!
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”raspberry” style=”border:0;” /> )
Luke
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Coke and hookers are more expensive down under
australia has a fair use policy
that article is technically correct
but you are allowed to back up any cd u buy
this would include ripping a cd to mp3
Okay a pom here, but for my convict friends and yes I do regard you as my kin as well nevermind the Ashes it was a good match and I am not a cricket fan anyhow.
Past circumstances aside if you want to really give those in the position of power in this situation concerning legality of iPods and the future for an iTMS store for Australia I suggest emailing these people via this link:
http://www.aria.com.au/
You will notice that this is for the Australian Record Industry Association. It is this department that has the power to lobby John Howards government into changing the law.
Bring your concerns, even if you are not an Australian citizen as I have already sent my own concerns.
Or send a direct email to: aria.mail@aria.com.au
MW: ‘felt’ as in I felt I had better help my fellow Mac users and iPod owners in Australia in the best way I can to have an iTMS service as well and legal!
LukeinOz says: “Now of course I expect charges of an inferiority complex. To this I say you are mistaken. Re-read above, I clearly have a SUPERIORITY complex”
Having tangled with Luke on other posts, I can personally attest to the truth of this statement!
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Just kidding Luke – good post!
look here
http://www.managingip.com/?Page=9&PUBID=198&ISS=15450&SID=503936
This article has got to be incorrect…
You mean you can’t fill you iPod with your own music?
I mean, how bout your own rendition of Rubber Duckie? Hey, I’d bet you could pull off about 1000 renditions of your favorite tunes can’t you? So please, stop whining.
j/k…
Gee…
Sadly the article is accurate: ripping a CD is illegal in Australia, as it is in the UK.
When asked about their feelings on why ripping/fair use is legal in the USA and not in the UK, a record industry type is alleged to have said “We’d prefer it if the USA had the same rules as the UK, but it doesn’t so we have to live with it.”
Of course, no one has acquainted them with the reality of the situation, which is that their own employees probably own iPods stuffed with “illegally” ripped music as do artists like Will Smith (who I understand owns six iPod), Chris Martin, Sting and many others. Personally, I’d love to see the record industry take its own artists to court – it would just about round out the absurdity of the argument.
These laws were made years ago, I seem to remember it is also illegal to walk a pig in Trafalgar Square and a London Cab is supposed to carry a bale of hay at all times. Nobody will get prosecuted for copying their own music.
As for getting tickets for being 3kmh over the limit in Australia, that is true. As long as you remember that a signed limit is actually 5 to 8kmh above what is marked on the sign;), 3kmh over that and Ping!
From The Wikipedia
A cartel is a group of producers whose goal it is to fix prices, to limit supply and to limit competition. Cartels are prohibited by antitrust laws in most countries; however, they continue to exist nationally and internationally, formally and informally. Note that a single entity that holds a monopoly by this definition cannot be a cartel, though it may be guilty of abusing said monopoly in other ways.
Many trade organizations, especially in industries dominated by only a few major companies, have been accused of being fronts for cartels:
‘People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.’
Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, 1776
Opponents of the RIAA claim that the trade group is, in effect, a cartel which artificially inflates and fixes prices for CDs. Such allegations note that the Big Four (EMI, Sony-BMG, Universal Music, and Warner) distribute at least 95 percent of all music CDs sold worldwide, and that the share of the price of an individual CD actually received by the artist is extremely low compared to the share retained by the record company as profit. In 2003, the major CD issuers in the American market, including the “Big Four” settled a price-fixing case brought by 43 state Attorneys General by issuing refunds to consumers and donating CDs to libraries and educational groups. [1]
TO: prophet loss and god sucks
This is a MAC site. Not a religious site. It just shows your ignorance and lack of civility to bring God discussions into a technical new site. Continue on if you want I can’t control or reason with ignorant unhappy fools. And yes you are an SOB because only a B could have given birth to a misfit like you.
Now, go have a crappy day you low life pieces of dog squeeze.
This is just silly. MacJams.com alone has 10,000 legally downloadable .mp3’s.
Oh sorry my mistake. I was unaware that ripping my own personal CDs was illegal. So why is the ipod not a prohibited import or something.
—
Colin you’re a ditz.. the Aussies in the article aren’t even considering ripping legal CD’s..
But that’s what everyone’s telling them to do.. and they still don’t get it.
Damn convicts..
I know several people in Australia who are legally filling their iPods with music — and they buy it from the iTunes Music Store!
They have permanent addresses in the U.S. (Some are U.S. citizens living in Australia, and some are Australian citizens who live part of each year in the U.S.) With a permanent address in the U.S. they can get a U.S. credit card. With a U.S. credit card they can use the U.S. iTunes Music Store. I know of no legal reason why they cannot do this.
It definitely is NOT true that all people in Australia are illegally filling their iPods with music.
If conversion of format is illegal. Should conversion from an optical format to an electronic format illegal, not? Sole purpose of CD player and DVD player are to do illegal function. Speakers are illegal, because they convert electronic signal to vibration of air.
Does that mean that our human muscle is illegal because they convert nervous signals to motion?
Not forgetting the British citizens living in Australia Shadowself,
Some are my own friends now living ‘down under’ and still use their UK based credit cards to access the UK iTMS. Many have their credit card statements mailed out to them even if for a small fee.
In the same you state Aussies part living there and in the USA.
“They have permanent addresses in the U.S. (Some are U.S. citizens living in Australia, and some are Australian citizens who live part of each year in the U.S.) With a permanent address in the U.S. they can get a U.S. credit card. With a U.S. credit card they can use the U.S. iTunes Music Store. I know of no legal reason why they cannot do this.”
If they are actually Americans who just happen to be physically located in Australia then the article has nothing to do with them. If they are Austrailians in the U.S. who somehow pass themselves off as Americans to American credit card companies, then there are some financial and legal authorities who probably would like talk to them.
And has anybody in the history of the world “filled up” a 10GB iPod with music from iTMS? How would you like music that much, yet not own a single CD?
OZ is ridiculous. I’ll bet it’s the union down under who are behind the problem. When I lived in Melbourne there was a strike every other day. All the loser commie shop stewards from England and Scotland went down there and the whole work force is now hamstrung. Give the unions a piece of the action Steve and you’ll be able to be in business.
Old news. But yes, we can legally download podcast and MP3s that are legitimately offered for free.
And of course, the law turns a blind eye to personal CD ripping, the same way it turns a blind eye to taping off the TV and radio.
Hey Odessey67.
Good to see you mate.
Ron, did you live in Australia 20 years ago (i.e. the 80’s)?
Your right just like when Australia was colonised the scum of the UK came over here (after Thatcher threw them out), but this time round the (NEW) “locals” told em to f%$k off.
There hasn’t been MAJOR unionised strikes for at least 10+ years in Australia and shortly we’ll have the last evidence of that era completely removed from the landscape when John Howard dismantles the Industrial Relations Commission.
You certainly know more about Australia than most here after living here but to say that ” the whole work force is now hamstrung” based on 20 year old evidence is a bit over the top.
What is more amazing is that the Labour (i.e. Union movement) were the party that INITIATED a lot of that change.
Check out the news mate, Australia is about as right wing as the US is now, we just don’t have Evangelical Christians running the place (yet).
However the most telling thing about your post is:
“I’ll bet it’s the union down under who are behind the problem.” AND “Give the unions a piece of the action Steve and you’ll be able to be in business.”
Your living in the 80’s mate. Unions aren’t even a force in the old soviet blocks.
Yeah the legal situation resulting in Australians not being able to rip Music from a CD is cause of the Unions. Do you understand left and right wing politics? The LEFT (i.e. union side of politics) is in fact more likely to have NO RESTRICTIONS on copying and sharing music. That is what it mean sto have a SOCIALIST leaning view on the world. You know the whole “collective” “sharing of wealth” etc etc.
Also the lack of iTunes Music store. Yep again it’s those pesky Unions. In true socialist tradition they want to protect the wealth and control of the Record Industry.
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You say when you were in Melbourne there was a strike every other day? My guess was they were protesting the fact you were let in the country!!! Tthat was a joke mate – although based on empirical evidence, you were here – strikes, you go, strikes no more…mmmmm)
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4 cents and counting.
Luke
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PS – I am no union lover. I protested against compulsory unionism at University, and I don’t believe in a predominatley socialist state (eg France). I also don’t believe in a ZERO socialist state (eg America). We do belong to communities and we do have an obligation to assist the poor (not hand outs, but assistance). I have worked in the US and London as well as traveled extensively and I believe that Australia (post the 80’s) and the UK (post Thatcher) have found a great balance between rewarding the individual and social responsibility. I think Australia is in a slight swing towards the individual at the moment, however the balance will return (eg the voter resistance to the COMPLETE dismantling of the Industrial Relations (IR) Commission and the proposed IR reforms which aim to abolish ALL forms of collective bargaining).
If iPods themselves are legal…
Then your average/generic new PC/Mac equipped w/Combo drive or DVD burners is also legal and sold as standard practice?
In other words, there’s no ban on current technology?
But, it’s illegal to use them as intended?
“Information wants to be free.”
As in, able to take whatever form might be available.
Photoshop; MP3, OCR….it’s all just zeroes and ones and can be copied perfectly into infinity. Or modified perfectly and then duplicated. Across time and space.
Truly amazing.
Yea and I suppose everyone else who has a different MP3 player is not getting around this somehow, come on give me a break. Don’t just point the finger at the iPod because that is just nonsense. First of all the people who use iTunes still legally bought the song or album first so the record labels and artists got there money.
I can hardly call that piracy. They paid for there music.
There are many in the napster world that are on those rental plans and are breaking the DRM and since they don’t pay per song or Album I would say they are the ones pirating not iTunes users or iPod users.
Lukeinoz. You’re absolutely correct. It was the 80’s But I can only relate my own experiences. I’m glad the unions are caput. Good on you luke
So let me get this straight: Pavarotti is God? Interesting theory but naah … no way could Pavarotti be responsible for such a fcuked up world.
As for aussie laws, the best one is the ( 40 ) kph speed sign on the back of a school bus that is triggered when its lights flash. There you are, traveling at a legal 80 kph when a bus in front somewhere stops and starts flashing its lights. Presto … you’re suppose to instantly drop to 40 for the 8 meters or so you spend passing the bus. Seems to me it would be better to prohibit a pedestrian/kid from trying to cross a road in front of a bus. But since kids don’t follow the law [to wit, the contents of their iPod] that won’t work and so we have the ludicrous law of instant-on 40 kph speed limits applying to 8-meter stretches of road.
Every country has their share of unfortunate laws.
Just for the record:
Technically it is still illegal to rip cds in Australia and the federal Attorney General Phillip Ruddock late last year indicated that the laws will be changed to “legalise” the transference of cd music onto mp3 players.
He also stated that under no circumstances would this change in the law be extended to the ripping of dvds. The mere possession of software (such as Mactheripper that is available from http://www.versiontracker.com) would still be a federal offence.
Two weeks ago The Sydney Morning Herald ran a piece indicating that the iTunes Music Store would open in A’stralia in early October (Oct. 3 I think). Likewise, as has already been posted, Sony Australia and Warner BMG were holding out for a separate pricing deal, and that the latter were close to signing a deal with Apple.
Comment: No one in A’stralia really worries about being prosecuted for copyright breaches over the transference of music from cds to mp3 players. Likewise I know one large retailer in Sydney that is selling over 1,000 blank dvds per days from just one of its outlets. Similarly I was also told that 75 per cent of these sales were for dvd ripping.
As for the October release date of the Apple music store, none of my contacts in the music industry (and I was in the industry for over fifteen years) have confirmed this date.
Unions had nothing to do with music copyright laws. I know this because I have post graduate qualifications in Australian industrial relations and copyright law. Similarly in the early 1990s I was an Industrial Advocate for the Muscians Union of Australia . Believe me, it was the recording companies who supported this legislation. In addition the Australian Performing Rights Association (APRA), which supports the original copyright owners ( i.e. those who own the original copyright) also support this situation. They are most definitely not a trade union.
I hope this information sets the record straight. Yes the laws are out of date but as my one of my old law professors use to say sometimes it’s easier not to change a law and the courts just look the other way.
A’stralia is not as litigious as some other countries and no one has been prosecuted for ripping cds and I don’t think anyone will be prosecuted. The record companies would be stupid to try something like that and the courts might look at the “custom and practise” of what people are actually doing with the contents of their cds rather than hand down a conviction. This is when a decision can be “set aside” and the matter deferred to parliament for the law to then be changed at a later stage. There are actually precedents for such decisions.
However the real reason for the laws still being in existence is that our legislators are too lazy to make a change. Technically I and millions of other people in this country are breaking the law when we a rip a cd, but that will not stop people from doing it. Perhaps we should ask the record companies what their views are on this situation.
Whoops. You are partly right Theconfuzed1 but I knew there was some sort of wierd conflict so I looked it up. For passenger vehicles radar detectors seem to be mostly legal. However, for truckers they are illegal everywhere and illegal in all cases in D.C. and Virginia.
http://www.afn.org/~afn09444/scanlaws/radar4.html
Then that would apply to all mp3 players in australia..not just the iPod
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Thats not cool!
A’stralia
By replacing one letter of a word with a ‘ will not actually shorten that word.
Dear Teacher,
The reason I’m not using the letter “u” in Australia is so some non-Australians might learn how we antipodeans pronounce the name for our country. If I spell the country’s name correctly then many pronounce it Osstralia. I’m trying to be phonetic.
From: iDon’t
Sep 22, 05 – 08:49 am
TO: prophet loss and god sucks
This is a MAC site. Not a religious site. It just shows your ignorance and lack of civility to bring God discussions into a technical new site. Continue on if you want I can’t control or reason with ignorant unhappy fools. And yes you are an SOB because only a B could have given birth to a misfit like you.
Now, go have a crappy day you low life pieces of dog squeeze.
———————-
my conception was immaculate, just like my manners.. HAVE A NICE Day!!…… love you