Congress holding DRM hearing and want your comments

[Ann Okerson <ann.okerson@yale.edu>]

Of possible interest to many readers of this list.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 15:51:54 -0400
From: Dave Farber <dave@farber.net>
To: ip <ip-sub-1@majordomo.pobox.com>
Subject: IP: Congress holding DRM hearing and want your comments

This is one of the more off balanced  panels I have seen in a long time. Djf

------ Forwarded Message
From: Kevin Marks <kmarks@mac.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 12:43:31 -0700
To: farber@cis.upenn.edu
Subject: Congress holding DRM hearing and want your comments

> http://www.ta.doc.gov/PRel/ma020710.htm
>
> MEDIA ADVISORY
>
> Workshop on Digital Content and "Rights Management"
>
> Officials Will Be Joined by Representatives of the
> Entertainment and Tech Industries
>
> Wednesday, July 17, 2002 1:00 PM ?4:00 PM
> U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 4830
> 14th and Constitution Avenues, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20230
>
>
> Phil Bond, Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology and
> Chief of Staff to Secretary Don Evans, and James Rogan,
> Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, will
> co-chair a roundtable discussion on the subject of digital
> content and rights management.
>
> This roundtable discussion builds upon a December 17, 2001
> Technology Administration workshop that took an in-depth
> look at both technical and policy questions standing in the
> way of widespread availability of legitimate digital content
> over the Internet.
>
> The focus of this event will include: progress toward
> technical standards that provide the framework necessary to
> enable legitimate digital media distribution, developments
> in the market for digital content as well as consumer
> perceptions and expectations, and the proper role for the
> government in facilitating solutions that are best for
> innovation and best for consumers.
>
> Forrester Research estimates that by 2003 the market for
> digital downloads will be worth $2 billion, and that by 2004
> up to 25% of all online music sales will be downloads. Many
> business leaders and government officials believe the wide
> availability of high-quality, legal digital content remains
> a key to further expediting penetration of broadband
> Internet services in the U.S. and the expansion of important
> technology-based industries.
>
> Co-chairs Bond and Rogan will be joined by:
>
> - Jack Valenti, of Motion Picture Association of America
> - Rhett Dawson, of Information Technology Industry Council
> - Joe Tasker, of Information Technology Association of
> America
> - Mitch Glazier, Record Industry Association of America
> - Jon Potter, Digital Media Association
> - Stewart Vendery, Vivendi Universal
> - Preston Padden, Disney
> - Mike Miron, ContentGuard
> - Rick Lane, News Corp
> - Gordon Lyon, NIST
> - Rob Reid, Listen.com
> - Phillip Maggi, Computer Systems Policy Project
> - Tim Sheehy, IBM
> - Andrew Moss, Microsoft
> - Ted Cohen, EMI
> - Doug Comer, Intel
> - Bob Schwartz, McDermott, Will & Emery (representing CEA
> and the Home Recording Rights Coalition.)
>
> In preparation for this workshop, the Technology
> Administration invites public comment on our website at:
> http://www.ta.doc.gov/comments/comments.htm.
>
>
> Contacts:  Cheryl Mendonsa, Technology Administration
> Telephone: 202 482-8321
> Email: cheryl.mendonsa@ta.doc.gov, or
>
> Marjorie Weisskohl, Technology Administration
> Telephone: 202 482-0149
> Email: Mweisskohl@ta.doc.gov

I've sent my comments in already - read them here:

http://www.quicktopic.com/15/D/Bw8pZVeLMHDnf.html

Send in your own comments here:

http://www.ta.doc.gov/comments/comments.htm

(they want them today)

There is also a group planning to attend as members of the public, who
are stakeholders too:

> WE ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS!
>
> This coming Wednesday, July 17th, the United States Commerce
> Department is conducting a Public Workshop on digital
> entertainment and "rights management."  This "workshop" will
> be constituted of a panel including the MPAA's Jack Valenti,
> the RIAA's Mitch Glazier, Microsoft's Andrew Moss, and
> representatives for Disney, IBM, Intel, Vivendi Universal,
> EMI, and ContentGuard.  Please see the media releases pasted
> below for details.
>
> These panelists represent the major forces who have prompted
> Congress to propose such radical measures as Senator Fritz
> Holling's CBDTPA Bill, which proposes to require content
> control to be built into all computers.
>
> Since the public holds the largest stake in the prospects of
> digital information and communications technology, it is
> crucial that a strong showing be made at this meeting.
>
> If you can attend this meeting, please do so.  If you
> can't,  please forward this message to any interested
> parties that you know.  Please reply to this email and let
> your interest in participating be known.  A group is being
> put together to attend this meeting and declare in no
> uncertain terms:
>
> WE ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS!
>
> Please attend, spread the word, reply to let it be known
> that you are participating, and help us put together a
> strong message and presentation of our concerns regarding
> this issue.
>
> Seth Johnson
>
>
> ----
>
> http://makeashorterlink.com/?A1EC62531
>
> SUMMARY: The United States Department of Commerce Technology
> Administration (TA) announces a public workshop on digital
> entertainment and its availability to consumers. The
> workshop will help gather data on such issues as the status
> of technical standards that provide the framework necessary
> to enable legitimate digital media distribution and the
> present state of strengths, weaknesses and availability of
> current and imminent technological solutions to protect
> digital content, barriers that are inhibiting movies, music
> and games from coming online.
>
> DATES: This workshop will be held on July 17, 2002, from 1
> p.m.-4 p.m.
>
> ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the Herbert C.
> Hoover Building, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 4830,
> Washington, DC. Entrance on 14th between Pennsylvania and
> Constitution Aves., NW.
>
> FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Further information
> relevant to the substantive issues to be addressed by this
> workshop may be obtained from Chris Israel Deputy Assistant
> Secretary for Technology Policy, Technology Administration,
> (202) 482-5687. Limited seating will be available to members
> of the general public. It is recommended that persons
> wishing to become general public attendees arrive early, as
> seating will be first come, first served.
>
> SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to its statutory
> authority found at 15 U.S.C. 3704(c), the Technology
> Administration is authorized, among other things, to conduct
> technology policy analyses to improve United States
> industrial productivity, technology, and innovation,
> cooperate with United States industry in the improvement of
> its productivity, technology, and ability to compete
> successfully in world markets, and identify technological
> needs, problems, and opportunities within and across
> industrial sectors, that, if addressed, could make a
> significant contribution to the economy of the United
> States.
>
>       With these responsibilities in mind, the Technology
> Administration is planning on holding a moderated series of
> informal discussions with relevant stakeholders to gather
> information on the availability of digital entertainment and
> status of copyright protection and rights management tools.
> The discussions will help gather data on such issues as the
> strength, weaknesses and availability of technological
> solutions, as well as network capability, and the proper
> role for the Government in facilitating solutions that are
> best for innovation and best for consumers.
>
>       Topics to be addressed at the workshop include:
>
>      - The effectiveness of efforts to pursue technical
> standards or solutions that are designed to provide a more
> predictable and secure environment for digital transmission
> of copyright material;
>
>      - Major obstacles facing an open commercial exchange of
> digital content;
>
>      - What a future framework for success might entail;
>
>      - Current consumer attitude towards online
> entertainment.
>
>       The workshop will focus on these and other related
> issues. Anyone wishing to comment on these or raise related
> issues is free to do so, either in writing before the
> meeting, or in person at the meeting. Prior comments will be
> collected via the Technology Administration Web
> site--www.ta.doc.gov/<http://www.ta.doc.gov/. and are
> requested by July 11, 2002.
>
>       Authority: This work effort is being initiated
> pursuant to TA's statutory responsibilities, codified at
> section 3704 of Title 15 of the United States Code.
>
>       Dated: June 28, 2002.
>
> Phillip J. Bond,
> Undersecretary of Commerce for Technology.
> [FR Doc. 02-16740 Filed 7-2-02; 8:45 am]
> BILLING CODE 3510-18-M

------------------------------
For archives see:
http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/

List archive & subscription: http://listserv.utk.edu/archives/rights-l.html