James Carthew

I agree that internet filtering as an idea is a joke. I know many people who already have plans to bypass any filter that is put in place. Our legal system with regards to electonic technologies overall needs a review.

I for one am fedup with corporate interests being the primary focus of governments. Last time I checked governments aren't voted in by companies they are voted in by citizens. Howard's handling of the Australia/USA free trade agreement was attrocious.

We're paying out $88 million dollars a year in royalties to the USA when most Australians are against an extension of copyright terms.

The government's handling of copyright law upto this point has been to defer to the USA in everything. We are not voting our government in to give us an unlimited copyright term which is what is currently happenning. We're not stupid we know Disney will lobby congress again when Mickey is about to enter public domain. Why won't the government be proactive in striking a fair balance? 99 years after the author is dead is not fair. Copyright is meant to encourage development of ideas and technologies. Instead it's being used to shovel money to trustfund babies. If I invent something I expect to be paid but seriously I don't expect to only get money from that idea forever. The current laws are supporting the view that an idea is your sole property for eternity. Even if the wording of the law is eternity -1 day it's still eternity just a mathematical semantic. Until a proper balance is achieved between consumer rights and artists rights people will continue to pirate and clone ideas and products with no regard for the law. People used to feel guilty about doing it. That guilt is very rapidly disappearing and if something isn't done to balance things soon people will stop buying things altogether except to support the 1-2 people they really like and even that might stop.

I guess I ran a bit off topic there but it's very frustrating to be a citizen and a voter. Who has voted for different sides of politics and rather than seeing a real influence or change from different political parties instead we're seeing the same old from both sides. This is weakening our country from within. People are becoming apathetic to our political system. They see that labor = Unions getting what they want and Liberals = bosses getting what they want and both sides = corporations getting what they want. Why is the community being left out of all of this? we're a stakeholder too.