The federal government will spend AU$12.4 million over the next two years to tackle intellectual property crime.
As part of today's federal budget announcement, Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said businesses that invest in innovation should not see their returns in someone else's pocket.
Ruddock pointed to the IT sector as one of the areas where Australia produces world class intellectual property.
"As a result of this budget initiative, law enforcement will be better resourced to pursue organised crime, major importers and wholesalers, profiting from piracy and counterfeiting," he said in a statement.
Additional funding of AU$8.3 million over two years will be given to the Australian Federal Police to fight IP crime, particularly where organised or transnational elements are involved.
Lets hope that the money is used to fight organised piracy groups and those making commercial gains from ripping off someone elses IP.
Lets hope that ordinary Aussies doing ordinary things with their purchased items that cause no financial loss to IP owners don't get punished instead, as this seems to be the way things are going.