iPod Down Under

Think U.S. copyright law is bad? In Australia, almost every possible use of an iPod is illegal.

Most people know it is illegal to download songs from the internet without paying. But far fewer people know it is illegal to copy music from a CD you have legally bought.

Anyone who has copied songs from a CD onto an iPod or computer hard drive has fallen foul of Australian copyright laws, which critics argue are failing to keep pace with technological change. Copying music for personal use is generally OK in the US and Europe. But not in Australia.

Australian users are not allowed to use the U.S. version of iTunes to pay for and download songs, and there is no local Australian version as of yet. So what does that leave? Well, if you've got your own band, you can make an mp3 of that music… but that's about it. (Thanks to Boing Boing for the link.)