At the beginning of 2022, the then Federal Government had proposed a suite of amendments to Australia's copyright laws to better support the needs of Australian users accessing content in the digital environment. Those proposed amendments were released as part of an Exposure Draft of the Copyright Amendment (Access Reform) Bill, and sought to provide clarity and more certainty around the use of copyright material in teaching, research and government sectors.

Following a change in Government, the Copyright Amendment (Access Reform) Bill appears to have been put to one side, with the Attorney-General's Department announcing on 24 November 2022 that there will be a renewed focus on Australia's current copyright enforcement regime and whether it provides sufficient protection for artists.

In the announcement, the Attorney-General hints that this shift in focus is a result of the combination of the Covid-19 pandemic and the digital age:

• the pandemic saw artists unable to perform live for an extended period of time, leading to royalty payments becoming a lifeline; and
• in the current digital landscape, artists' content (e.g. music, art, books) can be increasingly accessed online with ease and without authorisation.

The review aims to ensure that there is a robust copyright system with effective, appropriate and proportionate enforcement mechanisms, and that the creative industry is sufficiently protected from copyright infringement and able to earn a living from their creative works.

The review will begin with the release of an issues paper this month, followed by a public consultation process that will be open for a period of 12 weeks.

The consultation seeks input from artists as well as those who deal with copyright matters daily.

Link to the full media release: Protecting Australian artists | Our ministers – Attorney-General’s portfolio (ag.gov.au)