Australian copyright law is outdated and ill-suited to the YouTube era – that’s the only conclusion that can be drawn from the Kath & Kim case.
When TV promo producer Robert Goddard created short ads for the hit Australian comedy, he thought he was simply showcasing his talent and his love of the TV show.
However, The Australian has reported that Riley Turner Productions, stopped his ads from being seen – look for them and you will see “This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Riley Turner Productions”.
Ironically, Goddard would have been better off mocking the popular comedy rather than promoting it.
Why? Because under copyright law, making use of copyright material for the purposes of comedy or satire is considered “fair dealing” and allowed. However, supportive promotional material such as Goddard’s, which most people would have considered positive publicity for the show, is not. Doesn’t make sense, does it?
In an era when fan postings, sampling and sharing via the internet are the norm, our copyright law is struggling to keep up.
Photo: Riley Turner Productions
