Australia has made international headlines with 3 stories this week. Here is a quick recap of what’s been happening in Oz:
ISP wins battle against Hollywood Studios
Australian ISP iiNet was sued by all the major film studios in an effort to force the internet service provider to warn and even disconnect customers who repeatedly download movies illegally.
It was the first case of its kind in the world and the first time an Australian trial had been covered live on Twitter.
In a landmark judgment handed down yesterday morning, Justice Dennis Cowdroy rejected the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft's claim that iiNet ''authorised'' its customers' copyright infringement by failing to act on thousands of infringement notices sent to the ISP.
Men at Work busted for copying flute tune
A Federal court judge has ruled that the band Men at Work reproduced a “substantial part” of the children’s folk tune Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree for their number hit Down Under.
With this ruling the copyright holder to the song Kookaburra is now entitled to recover lost royalties from the band and their record company. This could reach in the sum of millions.
Down Under is considered an unofficial anthem for Australians, as well as being a song many people around the world associate with when they think of Australia.
Down Under was released in 1981 and topped the charts in Australia, the US and Britain between the period 1982 and 1983.
Banker busted watching half-nude model on live Television
We have all seen the live cross on the local news to a financial institution to get the latest news and updates on the state of stock markets and a rundown of the day’s business news.
On Channel 7 news this week (Feb 2. 2010) it was a cross to Macquarie Bank, where a broker in the background was looking at pics of scantily clad Australian model Miranda Kerr.
At the end of the cross, the broker turns around shocked to see his colleague talking to the TV station.
Since then the video clip has gone viral and there is a petition and website to save the brokers job.
The broker, Dave Kiely’s job was officially saved this afternoon, when Macquarie Bank issued a statement “He will remain an employee”. 'Macquarie and the employee apologise for any offence that may have been caused.''
