def func(items=[]):
    print items

def func(items=None):
    if items is None:
        items = []
    print items

my_copy = list(items)

from functools import wraps
def defaultFactories(func):
    'wraps function to use factories instead of values for defaults in call'
    defaults = func.func_defaults
    @wraps(func)
    def wrapped(*args,**kwargs):
        func.func_defaults = tuple(default() for default in defaults)
        return func(*args,**kwargs)
    return wrapped

def f1(n,b = []):
    b.append(n)
    if n == 1: return b
    else: return f1(n-1) + b

@defaultFactories
def f2(n,b = list):
    b.append(n)
    if n == 1: return b
    else: return f2(n-1) + b

>>> f1(6)
[6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1]
>>> f2(6)
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]