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Copyright Act
I would like to write strongly in support
of Mr Kwan's. letter- attacking the proposed
Copyright Bill.
The main beneficiaries
from, a Copyright
Act in PNG will be
foreign companies and
foreign authors, and if
rigorously implemented
a copyright act
couid prove very expensive
to this country.
Mr Kwan has pointed
out that it will have
repercussions on the
sale of pirated cassettes
and records which
with the proposed legislation
will be dearer.
The most serious implications
of the bill
are in the educational
field.
The early drafts of
the bill very seriously
restricted the amount
of copying of printed
materials for educational
use.
At all educational
levels in PNG substantial
use is made of
copying of ' printed
texts, and this is done
to produce teaching
materials which are
relevant, to PNG : .
A copyright situation,
even with excep-
tions granted to educational
institutions,
could hinder present
free use by imposing
administrative • restrictions
which would be
expensive and timeconsuming
to operate.
Printed and published, by
Reginald Bruce MacDonald
of Goro-be St.. Matirogo at
the Registered Ofice of
South Pacific Post -Ptv. Limited,
Lawes Road. Port
Moresby.
The net result of . this
bill will be to impede
the work of educationalists
: and to produce'
substantial additional
revenue for .. foreign
authors and ' companies.
• ••• •
The benefit to Papua
New Guinea^ and Papua.
New. Guineans will
be almost zero.
The potential market
inside PNG is : so
diminutive that the
likelihood of pirated
publication of works
by national authors is
small; since most
works will tend to be
- Published overseas au
thors', artists' and
musicians' •property
rights in their work
will be protected by
foreign copyright legislation.
The copyright bill is
one which is not in the
best interests of Papua
New Guinea, and is
one which ought to be
rejected.
ALAN C BUTLER v
Librarian, UPNG.
• The Copyright Act
became law on Nov
28 — ED.
$