ISDS Case Map
Australia
The music industry's legal assault on BitTorrent file sharing will provide the first major test of new laws designed to limit ISPs' liability for copyright breaches by their customers.
As the prospect of Australia and China negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) appears increasingly likely, China has flagged that Australian farmers may not get all they wish for.
Prime Minister John Howard said tonight Australia would continue to have strong trade links to China even if a free trade agreement could not be settled.
Australia and the United Arab Emirates agreed Tuesday to begin negotiations on a bilateral free-trade agreement (FTA) that Canberra said would be a "launchpad" for expanded business opportunities across the Middle East.
Warner Music Australia and other record companies are suing ISP Swiftel Communications for copyright infringement for allegedly hosting and maintaining two Internet computer servers and a Web site called Archie's Hub which deploys the BitTorrent application. The case is the first to test legislation passed to enact the Australian-United States Free Trade Agreement.
The UAE and Australia are about to begin negotiations on a free trade agreement, officials said at a press conference yesterday.
Australia should not try to raise human rights issues with China if formal talks about a free trade agreement begin, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says. "You won't get the free trade agreement and you won't get any improvements in human rights."
Prime Minister John Howard says there is a good chance Australia will begin negotiating with China on a free trade deal. China is Australia's third largest trading partner and the Government says if an agreement is signed it could be worth tens of billions of dollars to the Australian economy.
Australia will be hosting a conference on the Australia-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement on March 10 in Melbourne. The conference, which is organised by Monash University, is supported by the Australian Government.
A free trade deal with China may take up to five years to negotiate but it will cover contentious areas including cuts to Australia's textile and clothing tariffs.
