Don't weaken Australian copyright laws!

Thursday, 15 September 2016

Illustrators Australia wishes to bring to your attention recommendations by the Australian Government’s Productivity Commission to weaken Australia’s copyright laws.

The Federal Government is set to make significant changes to copyright laws based on the recommendations from the Productivity Commission. If they are implemented, these changes will have a negative impact on the business concerns of Australian creatives.

The Productivity Commission’s draft report recommended:

• removing 'parallel import' restrictions on books

• reducing the term of a creator’s copyright from 70 years after the creator’s death to 15 - 25 years after the creation of a work

• changing the exceptions to copyright protection to the misleadingly named American model of ‘fair use’

Illustrators Australia urges you to consider the potential ramifications of these changes.

The removal of parallel import restrictions presents too great a risk to Australia’s developing independent publishing industry. Any negative impact on the industry would result in a reduction of opportunities for Australian illustrators.

The reduction of the terms of copyright from 70 years after the death of the creator to 15 - 25 years from the creation date would be extremely detrimental to the small businesses operated by Australian creatives, compromising a creator’s ability to generate ongoing income from an original work and on their ability control its use.

A change from Australia’s current system of well defined copyright exceptions to the less clearly defined American model of ‘fair use’ would reduce a creator's ability to control the use of their work, increase litigation around matters of copyright, and would reduce the profitability of publishing thus resulting in a reduction of opportunities for Australian illustrators.

Find out more at www.bookscreateaustralia.com.au

www.facebook.com/Bookscreate

www.instagram.com/bookscreateaus

twitter.com/bookscreateaus

Time is tight – please sign the petition and / or write to your local member before September 24, 2016 when the Productivity Commission hands over its final report.

Sign the petition urging Treasurer The Hon. Scott Morrison MP to reconsider his position https://www.change.org/p/scott-morrison-save-australian-literature-stop-parallel-importation-of-books

Contact your local member of parliament and email your objection to the recommendations http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Members

back