This is an April Fool’s joke. 🙂

Pirate Party Australia has been handed a takedown request after the Party began issuing a poster design that parodies YouTube’s “this video is no longer available due to a copyright claim” notification. The Party has promptly ceased distribution and production of the poster, and begun to recall any that might still be at large.

“We were under the impression that parody and satire would be respected, but rather than fight this we decided to comply,” said Mozart Olbrycht-Palmer, Deputy Secretary of Pirate Party Australia. “This request is symptomatic of the absurdity of modern copyright maximalism. Time and time again copyright holders treat the public — which has generously allowed them to have these rights — with contempt. We must never forget that copyright is granted by law in the interests of society. When laws are abused or become inadequate, they need to be changed. Copyright should be no exception.”

Pirate Party Australia has staunchly opposed any plans to reinforce what it and many others consider a failing copyright regime that does not serve society’s interests. This has included numerous objections to the opaquely negotiated Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, and more recently the Trans-Pacific Partnership, both of which will cement Australia’s obligations in regard to copyright scope and duration.

The Party believes that copyright law needs to be refocused onto its principle goal of encouraging creativity and to greater reflect the attitudes of modern society and culture. This includes opposing penalties for the non-commercial use of copyrighted works and shortening copyright terms so that more cultural material is available for free public use.

“Currently copyright lasts for life plus seventy years in Australia,” Mr Olbrycht-Palmer continued. “This means that most people will be dead before they have any rights to remix and freely distribute their favourite records. It is absurd to consider that industries are pushing for longer copyright terms and holding onto culturally significant material when it should be in the public domain. It’s even more preposterous that corporations think it is reasonable to monitor and terminate an Internet connection for sharing copyrighted material without permission.”

“However, the most worrying part is that the government is meeting with people who think this is appropriate and doing so behind closed doors,” he concluded.

Against the backdrop of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and secret government meetings with industry representatives, Pirate Party Australia is competing for the Senate in this year’s federal election.

Donate to the Pirate Party today to help the election campaign and fight against strict copyright laws and harsh penalties.