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SINGAPORE : High Court Judge Andrew Ang has said that copyright laws need to adapt to today's new technological environment.
He made the comments in his grounds of decision in the case involving RecordTV and MediaCorp.
Last week, RecordTV was held by the High Court to have infringed copyright laws by allowing users to record programmes shown on MediaCorp's Channel 5, Channel 8 and Channel NewsAsia.
Elaborating on his decision, Justice Ang said reforming copyright laws to "reflect a wide array of societal interests in the digital revolution" will be a challenge to lawmakers, the industry and the public. And "eventually, the copyright laws might well evolve to become completely unrecognisable".
Justice Ang said he found RecordTV not liable for making infringing copies of the MediaCorp Broadcasts and Films. But he said "it is not permissible to copy for profit", and "it is not permissible to authorise another to copy when one does not possess that authority".
In 2007, RecordTV - which provides an online facility to record television broadcasts - had sued MediaCorp for millions of dollars for what it called "groundless threats" of copyright infringement.
This was after MediaCorp sent two "cease and desist" letters to the company which "stated the consequences" of alleged copyright infringements.
After RecordTV filed its suit, MediaCorp counter-sued. MediaCorp subsequently succeeded in its counter claims of copyright infringement against RecordTV. - CNA/ms
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