Protecting fair-use rights in the digital world

DaveSylvia · Mar 26, 2002

http://www.digitalconsumer.org/

Have you ever made a tape of your favorite songs to enjoy in your car stereo? Have you ever bought a CD and ripped it to your portable MP3 player? If so, you should know that recent changes to copyright law have been used to take away your personal use rights to the media you legally acquire. That means that activities like making mixes or copying music to a portable player are quickly being restricted or prevented.

DigitalConsumer.org is doing something about it. We are advocating a Consumer Technology Bill of Rights that will positively assert a consumer's rights to fair use. The Bill of Rights will guarantee your ability to use your own digital media in the way that you choose. With the support of consumers, we are working to have the Bill of Rights passed into law. Our proposed Bill has already gained support from numerous consumers as well as prominent executives and venture capitalists, but there's a lot more that we need to do in order to let Washington know that this is important.

There is a Q & A on the site for more info. I figured I could get a few people to sign the petition in support of the Consumer Technology Bill of Rights if I posted. Also read about the Hollings Bill. That's something I wouldn't want passed. At the site there are links to sign a petition against that.

uncleel · Mar 26, 2002

as opposed to the pirates that ruin it for everyone

DVD-burning lab shut down in NY
By John Borland Special to ZDNet News March 25, 2002
http://msn.com.com/2100-1105-867592.html

A rogue DVD-burning lab was shut down by law enforcement in New York on Friday, the first time that's happened in the United States, according to the movie studios' trade association.

"Pirates seek to profit off the enormous popularity of DVDs by using the latest in technology to illegally manufacture DVD copies of Hollywood films

DaveSylvia · Mar 26, 2002

.

DaveSylvia · Mar 26, 2002

What are you trying to say? Are you against the Consumer Technology Bill of Rights? Are you for the Hollings Bill? Do you want neither of them to pass?

uncleel · Mar 26, 2002

as opposed to the pirates that ruin it for everyone

"as opposed to the pirates that ruin it for everyone"

Politiicans don't stand for the little guy. They stand for the "political contribution" which means big bucks payoff. We touched on this subject in another thread.
Movie: Britney Spear's Crossroads ?
http://www.3dspotlight.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=512

Originally posted by uncleel
The Sorry State of the Recording Industry.

1.) Corporations have purchased the major labels, making it harder for fresh faces & good music to break thru. Universal owns 6 labels, Warner 4, Sony 3, BMG 3, & EMI 3.

2.) CD's costs less to produce than a vinyl LP, but the prices have gone up.

3.) Instead of utilizing the new technology, the industry sues Napster. In fact I read of one record executive, Michael Greene who called ,"Web Theft."

So while our beloved politicians & State attorneys try to extort money from M$, "for all the harm caused to consumers," they completely ignore "we" consumers who are getting ripped off by the recording industry.

What's need is a fair & equitable way to purchase & download music. But I bet the music industry will pay off the politicians to stop it.

DaveSylvia · Mar 27, 2002

Don't trust your reps, eh? You can give the site your name, zip code, and email address and they will fax a letter to your local representative in your name. If your reps don't respond, don't vote for them.

uncleel · Mar 27, 2002

Don't trust your reps

Originally posted by DaveSylvia
Don't trust your reps, eh?

Absolutely not! That's why we need Term Limits. I even had the occasion to me Ct. Sen. Joe Liberman, & learned what a big fake phony fraud he is. Everything is scripted right down to the jokes they tell. Sen. Dodd, Kennedy's old drinking buddy, wants fair play for Cuba. We're not even into the Congressmen yet.

As far as contacting your respresentative, I asked that very question. The Senator's office said that they prefer phone calls, since the # of call recieved are "charted" per issue. Personal letters w/ return address are preferred. Many are wary of email since they can be mail bombed by an indivdual or special interest group. Every email sent & revieved by me has been a crummy form letter.

uncleel · Mar 29, 2002

Originally posted by DaveSylvia
Are you against the Consumer Technology Bill of Rights? Are you for the Hollings Bill?

Yea I know it's Salon.com, but they seem to have a different take on this legislation.

U.S. prepares to invade your hard drive
A bill before Congress would mandate built-in copy-protection on all digital devices.
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/03/29/hollings_bill/print.html
Sen. Ernest F. "Fritz" Hollings, that is, the South Carolina Democrat who finally introduced his long-dreaded copy protection bill into Congress last week.

Hollings' bill, formerly referred to as the SSSCA (Security Systems Standards and Certification Act) but now dubbed the Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act (CBDTPA), would require any device that can "retrieve or access copyrighted works in digital form" to include a federally mandated copy protection system.

That covers not just your next iPod or Windows Media Player, but just about every digital device with a screen, a printer, an audio jack, a disk drive, a memory stick, or several input/output devices yet to be invented. Your computer, your camera, your car stereo.

CBDTPA's goal is to force a powerful sector of U.S. industry -- makers and sellers of digital hardware and software -- to submit to the needs of the smaller but more established entertainment lobby. This legislative approach to copy protection has already riled consumers of digital entertainment who fear that hardware copy protection will make their lives more difficult. But it's also raising concern among standards experts who already support what is known as "digital rights management" -- strategies for protecting copyrighted intellectual property.

Such experts say that by trying to enforce technology standards on a timetable driven by Hollywood's fears, CBDTPA will more likely undermine existing work toward effective digital rights management. Some say the hypothetical standard sought by Hollings' bill will only work for major studios. Many are sure it won't work at all.

Mictlantecuhtli · Mar 31, 2002

From the old forum:
This can't be right... (copy protected CDs)
Studios nearing anti-copying tech for TV

uncleel · Apr 8, 2002

What Hollings' Bill Would Do
wired.com/news By Declan McCullagh
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,51275,00.html

WASHINGTON -- If Hollywood and the music industry get their way, new software and hardware will sport embedded copy protection technology.

A bill introduced by Senate Commerce Chairman Fritz Hollings would prohibit the sale or distribution of nearly any technology -- unless it features copy-protection standards to be set by the federal government.

Fair Use & MP3 players are discussed http://216.110.42.179/docs/cbdtpa/

DaveSylvia · Apr 12, 2002

Just a little update:

http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/industry/04/10/media.piracy.reut/index.html

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- A digital-copyright bill introduced last month has inspired howls of protest from consumers and high-tech firms who say it could slow technological advances and dictate how consumers listen to music or watch videos at home.

Well-connected lobbyists and everyday users alike have flooded Congress with faxes and e-mails over the last several weeks to lodge complaints against a bill that would prevent new computers, CD players and other consumer-electronics devices from playing unauthorized movies, music and other digital media files.......

uncleel · Apr 30, 2002

You were saying?

A law to protect spyware
http://salon.com/tech/feature/2002/04/26/hollings_spyware/index.html
By Chris Wenham

Sen. Fritz Hollings is pushing a bill that supposedly safeguards online privacy -- but actually gives intrusive marketers a green light.

The fact that Hollings is behind this bill should be the first clue about the real agenda it serves. Hollings is also a sponsor of the Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act (CBDTPA, formerly known as the SSSCA), a bill that requires all new computers and other digital information devices to come with copy protection software and/or hardware installed on them. It would also outlaw any effort to reverse-engineer or disable any copy-protection format -- a measure that some observers believe will cripple software development -- particularly in the open-source and free-software communities. CBDTPA is ostensibly based on the premise that consumers won't sign up for broadband ISP access until Hollywood puts its content online, and Hollywood won't do that until its sure its intellectual property will be safe. But the bill isn't really about the "promotion" of broadband at all. Hollings is one of the Senate's largest recipients of entertainment industry campaign contributions, and the bill is squarely aimed at protecting that industry's interests.

For while it talks a good game about protecting "sensitive" information, the truth is that it would place a congressional stamp of approval on precisely the kinds of practices that purveyors of spyware are eager to engage in.

TechSpot

Welcome to TechSpot

Protecting fair-use rights in the digital world

DaveSylvia Newcomer, in training Posts: 127

uncleel Newcomer, in training Posts: 1,145

DaveSylvia Newcomer, in training Posts: 127

DaveSylvia Newcomer, in training Posts: 127

uncleel Newcomer, in training Posts: 1,145

DaveSylvia Newcomer, in training Posts: 127

uncleel Newcomer, in training Posts: 1,145

uncleel Newcomer, in training Posts: 1,145

Mictlantecuhtli TS Special Forces Posts: 4,916 +9

uncleel Newcomer, in training Posts: 1,145

DaveSylvia Newcomer, in training Posts: 127

uncleel Newcomer, in training Posts: 1,145

Add New Comment

	TechSpot Members Login or sign up for free, it takes about 30 seconds.			You may also...
Get complete access to the TechSpot community. Join thousands of technology enthusiasts that contribute and share knowledge in our forum. Get a private inbox, upload your own photo gallery and more.