Quick, link us all you can

[Shell]

I by chance saw this news http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200611/s1782921.htm and it got me to thinking. HOW will this affect us? Will it mean only Australian works are protected and locked out or all works?I don't wanna loose my Google-ability!! I LOVE It's my friend.. so are a few other search engines. I have no idea what those head honchos think they're up to but they better cut it out!

 

They very recently INCREASED our copyright laws from 50 years to 70yrs due to the Free Trade Agreement with the USA, so they've already upped protection to everything. Now this? If I can't search for new ideas and techniques and crafts and things I am going to be lost! I don't really understand what it all means but I don't like it already. If people want to copyright their work then keep it clear of the internet. Simple as that!

[Amy]

Sounds to me as if the proposed Australian law would make it a copyright violation for Google to cache and display content found on Australian websites without the express permission of those sites.

 

If the law is passed, Google would probably just develop new software that would in effect block Australian-based content from its search engines. Which means nobody would find any good Australian sites.

 

Australian users of Google might still be able to use Google, but I would half suspect Google to fight back and use some of that geo-identification technology so that Australian users couldn't use their system at all. Then you'd have lots of Australians fighting to have that law overturned.

 

This is all assuming it gets passed anyway. If there's enough public outcry, locally in Australia and around the rest of the world, they may can it or revise it significantly.