The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) has been asked by the Attorney-General to inquire into and report on current and further desirable uses of copyright material in the context of the digital economy. In this paper the focus is on the scope of the terms of reference of the ALRC and the importance of copyright in a modern digitally orientated world. The paper also analyses other important initiatives and reports in this area, focusing on the changing ‘political economy’ and cultural impact on copyright issues and, in particular the challenges for copyright law.
