Copyright fair use clause fails to persuade George Brandis; Guardian, 2/14/14

Michael Safi, Guardian; Copyright fair use clause fails to persuade George Brandis:

"The attorney general, George Brandis, says he “remains to be persuaded” that Australia needs a fair use clause in its copyright law.

A report from the Australian Law Reform Commission, tabled in the Senate on Thursday, argues that a flexible fair use law would assist innovation, protect copyright holders and promote the public interest.

“I am convinced that we can do much to improve how copyright works in this country,” Brandis told a copyright forum in Canberra on Friday, but he warned that reform must not “come at the expense of our creative industries”.

The current law provides fair dealing exceptions for specific practices, such as copying CDs to a computer or performing a play in a classroom.

Intellectual property specialist Kimberlee Weatherall said this approach failed to keep pace with rapid technological change."