4. Democracy on the web works.
Google search works because it relies on the millions of individuals posting links on websites to help determine which other sites offer content of value. We assess the importance of every web page using more than 200 signals and a variety of techniques, including our patented PageRank algorithm, which analyzes which sites have been “voted” to be the best sources of information by other pages across the web. As the web gets bigger, this approach actually improves, as each new site is another point of information and another vote to be counted. In the same vein, we are active in open source software development, where innovation takes place through the collective effort of many programmers.

6. You can make money without doing evil
Advertising on Google is always clearly identified as a "Sponsored Link," so it does not compromise the integrity of our search results. We never manipulate rankings to put our partners higher in our search results and no one can buy better PageRank. Our users trust our objectivity and no short-term gain could ever justify breaching that trust.

Doesn't this proposal breach both these policies of Google?
http://www.google.com/about/corporate/company/tenthings.html

Bitch, please!
We control most of the world's resources, including iron, uranium, and coal (but a lot more than that). Sooo much coal that we consider it a sustainable resource! (By the time we manage to burn it all up, it would have replenished).

If we decided to stop sending minerals to the US, shit would go down.

Common website we all use down under: www.playasia.com
Cheap games as soon as they are released.

Sometimes older games do get cheaper in store, but it depends on the situation and what game.

Keep in mind a lot of people still buy games in a store because they are concerned about region locking. For those who aren't sure which platforms have it:
PC obviously has no region locking
PS3 has no locking whatsoever (you are free to import to your heart's desire)
X-Box has some region locked games, but 3/4 are unlocked (always check before you buy)
Wii is completely region locked (you're locked in bit**es!)

Not every state - Victorian and New South Wales are very difficult to fake, and driver licenses in NSW if issued under the age of 18 have these extra "features":
The date of birth of the licence holder is repeated in the card background.
A red box surrounds the facial image.
A reference to the date of the holder’s 18th birthday appears in the banner of the card.

I can't speak for other states (I know Queensland looks sort've difficult to fake), but considering the majority of the population reside in these two states, isn't that good enough?

The bigger problem is the large asian community in Australia. They all look alike!

Your Euros are worth something?

Your euros are worth something?

From the other side of the world, it is appalling how copyright law likes to screw everything over the entire globe.

Here in Australia, there is only one main source of multimedia online - iTunes. And it has a limited selection compared to the US version, and massive markups. What costs you guys 99c-$1.69 costs us $1.69-$2.19 (AUD and USD are practically at parity)
Amazon doesn't work outside the US.
Google Music doesn't work outside the US.
Zune only started in Australia recently - but there are DRM restrictions.

Also, with TV episodes, there is a large delay between US availability and AU availability. At least months difference, and it is still overpriced and DRM locked on iTunes. We can't access iTunes US without a credit card. We aren't allowed to pay for it basically. So what is the easier option? Just download it.

Another common example among friends of mine:
We all love k-pop. But we can't get Korean music in Australian music stores. We can't buy it online from iTunes. We can't set up an account for iTunes Korea. We can't order the CDs online either. So what is the obvious solution? Download it.

As long as the Music/TV/Movie industry make it extremely difficult to pay, there will be a large amount of people who pirate around the world because they aren't given the option to pay for it easily. However if paying for music was easier than downloading, there would be more people paying for music.

I am an Australian citizen, and while I find that the blackout is inconvenient to *some* extent, I think it highlights a point - that the legislation of one country has too much power to affect the internet. To companies with such a large international base, I see this as to why you should not host everything in one country only, especially the US. Your whole operations could be brought down because of the laws of one country. However, this is why mirrors should be introduced across the globe. If the legislations in the US shut down a web page in the US, it does not effect the other 99.95% of the world trying to access the internet.

I think that relying on everything being American is a stupid level of patriotism. There are other people in the world you know?? Who gives a damn where something is manufactured? Having a phone in the US is probably more susceptible to Carrier IQ than most other places in the world.

The paper clip is dead or no longer used because people are already sick of it in their word processor.