Creative commons or common theft? August 25, 2007

Can copyright be defended in a downloading world? A free-for-all about whether books should be free for all.

Under the Australian Copyright Act of 1968 artistic ideas are protected from plagiarists and plunderers. Forty years on, as the electronic environment overtakes the real one, information is no longer seen as an artistic privilege but as an individual right. This raises many questions about how we can preserve and protect the intellectual property of authors who publish in an online environment and how we can predict the future of the printed word and the publishing industry.

Award-winning author, Cory Doctorow has published three science fiction novels, which can be downloaded from the internet for free under the Creative Commons License (www.craphound.com). Leading by example, Cory has championed the need to bring copyright issues in line with the online environment of the 21st Century, arguing that e-books should be seen as a way of winning new audiences rather than losing sales. Join a lively debate, chaired by Dr Mark Williams (Senior Adviser, jdrlegal pty ltd ) and featuring e-author Cory Doctorow, Jessica Coates (Project Manager of Creative Commons), who assert that the e-age will empower online authors, and Jeremy Fisher (the Director of the Australian Society of Authors) and Sandy Grant, (Publisher and Director of the Copyright Agency Limited) who see the shift as cause for concern.

Tickets: Full $18
Concession $15

Official Website: http://www.mwf.com.au/2007/content/events.asp?name=20070826_1130_350WS