At the Melbourne Future day on March 1 Kevin B. Korb gave a
presentation <a
href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQUze1wJXso">Technofuture
Politics in Australia</a> (Youtube 617Mb), about the <a
href="http://www.defence.gov.au/ustradetreaty/pdf-docs/defence-trade-controls-act-2012.pdf">Defence
Trade Controls Act 2012</a> and the TPP.
He discussed the DTCA in the blog post <a
href="http://bayesian-intelligence.com/bwb/2013-07/australias-act-of-intellectual-terrorism-dtca-2012/">Australia's
Act of Intellectual Terrorism: DTCA 2012</a> (July 2013) and
links to http://victimsofdsto.com/dtca/ .
Quoting
Australia Prepares to Eat its Brains
A key feature of the Act is that it requires prior permission to
communicate new research to a foreign national in any of the
nominated areas. This includes, but is hardly limited to, publishing
research in academic journals. ....
Obtaining prior approval for each research project and, possibly,
each research communication would put an end to a very large amount
of research activity in Australia, directing researchers, students
and subsequent economic activity elsewhere. Permission would be
required to publish across a huge range of areas under active
research in the university sector. Without a clear opportunity to
publish, most academics would choose not to undertake research
projects in these areas, meaning that ARC and NHMRC
I think the current list of
==
<a
href="http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2013C00051/Download">
Defence and Strategic Goods List Amendment 2011
(No. 1) - F2013C00051</a>
Some excerpts
Amendment of Defence and Strategic Goods List
9A012 “Unmanned aerial vehicles” (“UAVs”), associated
systems, equipment and components, as follows:
a. “UAVs” having any of the following:
1. An autonomous flight control and navigation capability
(e.g., an autopilot with an Inertial Navigation System); or
2. Capability of controlled‑flight out of the direct vision
range involving a human operator (e.g., televisual remote
control);
b. Associated systems, equipment and components, as follows:
1. Equipment specially designed for remotely controlling the
“UAVs” specified in 9A012.a.;
2. Systems for navigation, attitude, guidance or control,
other than those specified in 7A and specially designed to
provide autonomous flight control or navigation capability to
“UAVs” specified in 9A012.a.;
3. Equipment and components, specially designed to convert a
manned “aircraft” to a “UAV” specified in 9A012.a.;
4. Air breathing reciprocating or rotary internal combustion
type engines, specially designed or modified to propel “UAVs” at
altitudes above 50,000 feet (15,240 metres).
7D003 Other “software” as follows:
a. “Software” specially designed or modified to improve the
operational performance or reduce the navigational error of
systems to the levels specified in 7A003, 7A004 or 7A008;
b. “Source code” for hybrid integrated systems which improves
the operational performance or reduces the navigational error of
systems to the level specified in 7A003 or 7A008 by continuously
combining heading data with any of the following:
1. Doppler radar or sonar velocity data;
2. Global navigation satellite systems (i.e., GPS or GLONASS)
reference data; or
3. Data from “Data‑Based Referenced Navigation” (“DBRN”)
systems;
c. “Source code” for integrated avionics or mission systems
which combine sensor data and employ “expert systems”;
d. “Source code” for the “development” of any of the
following:
1. Digital flight management systems for “total control of
flight”;
2. Integrated propulsion and flight control systems;
3. Fly‑by‑wire or fly‑by‑light control systems;
4. Fault‑tolerant or self‑reconfiguring “active flight
control systems”;
5. Airborne automatic direction finding equipment;
6. Air data systems based on surface static data; or
7. Raster‑type head‑up displays or three dimensional
displays;
e. Computer‑Aided‑Design (CAD) “software” specially designed
for the “development” of “active flight control systems”,
helicopter multi‑axis fly‑by‑wire or fly‑by‑light controllers or
helicopter “circulation controlled anti‑torque or
circulation‑controlled direction control systems”, whose
“technology” is specified in 7E004.b., 7E004.c.1. or 7E004.c.2.
ML17. Miscellaneous equipment, materials and ‘libraries’, as
follows, and specially designed components therefor:
...
“Robot” (2 8 ML17) means a manipulation mechanism, which may be
of the continuous path or of the point‑to‑point variety, may use
sensors, and has all the following characteristics:
a. Is multifunctional;
b. Is capable of positioning or orienting material, parts,
tools or special devices through variable movements in three
dimensional space;
c. Incorporates three or more closed or open loop
servo‑devices which may include stepping motors; and
d. Has “user‑accessible programmability” by means of
teach/playback method or by means of an electronic computer
which may be a programmable logic controller, i.e., without
mechanical intervention.
N.B.: The above definition does not include the following
devices:
1. Manipulation mechanisms which are only manually /
teleoperator controllable;
2. Fixed sequence manipulation mechanisms which are automated
moving devices, operating according to mechanically fixed
programmed motions. The program is mechanically limited by
fixed stops, such as pins or cams. The sequence of motions and
the selection of paths or angles are not variable or changeable
by mechanical, electronic or electrical means;
3. Mechanically controlled variable sequence manipulation
mechanisms which are automated moving devices, operating
according to mechanically fixed programmed motions. The program
is mechanically limited by fixed, but adjustable stops, such as
pins or cams. The sequence of motions and the selection of
paths or angles are variable within the fixed program pattern.
Variations or modifications of the program pattern (e.g.,
changes of pins or exchanges of cams) in one or more motion axes
are accomplished only through mechanical operations;
ML21. “Software” as follows:
a. “Software” specially designed or modified for the
“development”, “production” or “use” of equipment, materials or
“software”, specified by the Munitions List;
b. Specific “software”, other than that specified by ML21.a.,
as follows:
1. “Software” specially designed for military use and
specially designed for modelling, simulating or evaluating
military weapon systems;
2. “Software” specially designed for military use and
specially designed for modelling or simulating military
operational scenarios;
3. “Software” for determining the effects of conventional,
nuclear, chemical or biological weapons;
4. “Software” specially designed for military use and
specially designed for Command, Communications, Control and
Intelligence (C3I) or Command, Communications, Control, Computer
and Intelligence (C4I) applications;
c. “Software”, not specified by ML21.a., or b., specially
designed or modified to enable equipment not specified by the
Munitions List to perform the military functions of equipment
specified by the Munitions List.
4. Non‑servo‑controlled variable sequence manipulation
mechanisms which are automated moving devices, operating
according to mechanically fixed programmed motions. The program
is variable but the sequence proceeds only by the binary signal
from mechanically fixed electrical binary devices or adjustable
stops;
5. Stacker cranes defined as Cartesian coordinate manipulator
systems manufactured as an integral part of a vertical array of
storage bins and designed to access the contents of those bins
for storage or retrieval.
ML22. “Technology” as follows:
a. “Technology”, other than specified in ML22.b., which is
“required” for the “development”, “production” or “use” of items
specified by the Munitions List;
b. “Technology” as follows:
1. “Technology” “required” for the design of, the assembly of
components into, and the operation, maintenance and repair of,
complete production installations for items specified by the
Munitions List, even if the components of such production
installations are not specified;
2. “Technology” “required” for the “development” and
“production” of small arms, even if used to produce
reproductions of antique small arms;
3. “Technology” “required” for the “development”,
“production” or “use” of toxicological agents, related equipment
or components, specified by ML7.a. to ML7.g.;
4. “Technology” “required” for the “development”,
“production” or “use” of “biopolymers” or cultures of specific
cells, specified by ML7.h.;
5. “Technology” “required” exclusively for the incorporation
of “biocatalysts”, specified by ML7.i.1., into military carrier
substances or military material.
Note 1: “Technology” “required” for the “development”,
“production” or “use” of items specified by the Munitions List
remains under control even when applicable to any item not
specified by the Munitions List.
Note 2: ML22 does not apply to:
a. “Technology” that is the minimum necessary for the
installation, operation, maintenance (checking) and repair, of
those items which are not controlled or whose export has been
authorised;
b. “Technology” that is “in the public domain”, “basic
scientific research” or the minimum necessary information for
patent applications;
c. “Technology” for magnetic induction for continuous
propulsion of civil transport devices.
GENERAL SOFTWARE NOTE (GSN)
(This note overrides any control within section D of Categories
0 to 9.)
Categories 0 to 9 of this list do not control “software” which
is either:
1. Generally available to the public by being:
a. Sold from stock at retail selling points, without
restriction, by means of:
1. Over‑the‑counter transactions;
2. Mail order transactions;
3. Electronic transactions; or
4. Telephone order transactions; and
b. Designed for installation by the user without further
substantial support by the supplier; or
N.B.: Entry a. of the General Software Note does not release
“software” specified in Category 5 — Part 2 (“Information
Security”).
2. “In the public domain”.
“In the public domain” (GTN NTN GSN ML22), as it applies herein,
means “technology” or “software” which has been made available
without restrictions upon its further dissemination (copyright
restrictions do not remove “technology” or “software” from being
“in the public domain”).
==
The public domain statement above looks like it supports
existing Open Source software. It would be perverse if US
redistribution restrictions broke the "without restrictions upon its further
dissemination" caveat. ... But you'd need legal advice ...