This paper begins the Department of Communications and the Arts (Australia) consultation on reform options, following the Australian Government’s response to the Final report of the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Australia’s Intellectual Property Arrangements (PC report). It asks for views of the Copyright Act that may benefit from modernisation.

This article considers how copyright law applied in the analogue era to regulate the production and dissemination of geographic information, the effects of new technologies and digitisation on how law applies to geospatial data and associated products and systems, and whether either a database right or some other form of protection is required.

This report was produced for Australian Screen Association (ASA) to give an initial assessment of the efficacy of the site blocking of 5 sites implemented in Australia in December 2016, using data from 1 October 2016 up to 31 March 2017.

The Department of Communications and the Arts is seeking submissions from stakeholders on the draft findings and recommendations outlined in this draft report, and any other issues relevant to the inquiry terms of reference.

The Online Infringement Amendment (OIA) enables a copyright owner to apply to the Federal Court to block access to an online location operated outside Australia with the primary purpose of infringing (or facilitating infringement of) copyright content. This review supports the Australian government’s commitment to review the operation of the OIA.