It's OK to copy MILLIONS of Australians who tape TV shows and copy CDs will soon get the right to do it with a clear conscience. The Federal Government will next year legalise the video recording of television shows for personal use, and the transfer of songs from CDs to MP3 players, in a bid to overturn a ban which has made criminals of much of the population. Attorney-General Philip Ruddock has flagged tidying-up copyright laws by adding "fair use" loopholes that will clear the way for private citizens to copy the content without breaking the law. But yet to be decided is whether a levy will be slapped on the store price of blank CDs and MP3 players, such as iPods, to compensate artists for the revenue they stand to lose under the new laws. Though the practice is widespread, it remains illegal to convert a CD to MP3 format for playing on an iPod. There are more than 100,000 Australian iPod owners, all of whom have broken the current law by uploading music from their CDs. It is also against the law to tape a television program to watch at a more convenient time. A spokeswoman for Mr Ruddock said the Government was close to finalising draft laws which would allow people to copy CDs they legitimately own on to their iPods and tape television to watch later. Mr Ruddock foreshadowed the changes earlier this month. He said there needed to be a balance between the rights of copyright owners and the interests of users. "We should have copyright laws that are more targeted at the real problem. "We should not treat everyday Australians who want to use technology to enjoy copyright material they have obtained legally as infringers where this does not cause harm to our copyright industries." The Attorney-General said he was likely to add exceptions to current laws to recognise "everyday forms of private copying that do not harm copyright owners". Those exceptions included time-shifting - taping a TV show to watch at a later time - and format shifting - putting a CD you have bought on to your iPod. In Canada where similar laws have already been introduced, a fee was levied on blank CD and iPod unit sales to compensate copyright owners. In the case of Canadian iPods up to an extra $32 is placed on the store price of individual machines. Mr Ruddock's spokeswoman said a similar system had been discussed for Australia, but was unlikely.
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The Australian Federal Government has indicated that it will overhaul copyright law in 2006. The changes will legalise the recording of television shows and the right to transfer CDs to portable music devices.

The reforms, instigated by Attorney-General Phillip Ruddock aim to add "fair use" clauses for personal use.

A spokeswoman for Mr Ruddock said the Government was close to finalising draft laws which would allow people to copy music from CDs legitimately to their own portable music devices and tape television to watch later.

At present both "time shifting" (recording a television show to watch later) and "format shifting" (copying a legally owned CD to another format such as MP3 for play on a portable device) are illegal in Australia. While the Australian Federal Police do not pursue offenders, it still must act upon every complaint.

It is unknown whether the new laws will force a levy on blank CDs and portable music devices as they did when the laws were introduced in Canada.