Copyright Bill to Kill Tech

[Alix <abuffonvance@verizon.net>]

Further reading to follow Chuck Hamaker's posting ...

Regarding the Hatch Bill S. 2560, Marybeth Peters, the Register of
Copyrights, advocates placing further restrictions on consumer "fair use"
rights (as codified by Sony v. Universal):
 
"To achieve a more comprehensive solution, this Committee may want to
consider other legislative approaches in addition to this bill that would
provide guidance to courts so that liability can be found in appropriate
circumstances. While you have carefully crafted this bill to preserve the
20-year-old decision in the Sony case, it may become necessary to consider
whether that decision is overly protective of manufacturers and marketers
of infringement tools, especially in today�s digital environment."
 
Links to testimony from last Thursday's (7/22/2004) hearings:  
http://judiciary.senate.gov/testimony.cfm?id=1276&wit_id=307 
http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearing.cfm?id=1276

By contrast, HR 107, the Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act of 2003, is
defended in Dr. Mark Cooper's Opinion piece in the Kansas City Star.  As
per the summary of this bill (opinion piece and bill summary below), HR
107 would seek to:

-- Amend Federal copyright law to exempt from its prohibitions against
circumvention of copyright protection systems any persons acting solely in
furtherance of scientific research into technological protection measures.

-- Declare it not a violation of copyright law, but fair use, to: (1)
circumvent a technological measure in connection with access to, or the
use of, a work if such circumvention does not result in an infringement of
the copyright in the work; or (2) manufacture, distribute, or make
noninfringing use of a hardware or software product capable of enabling
significant noninfringing use of a copyrighted work.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/business/9193806.htm?1c
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:HR00107:@@@L&summ2=m&;) 

Alix Buffon Vance 
Ebook Library - North America
301-951-8108

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Friday, July 23, 2004 12:42 PM
Subject: Copyright Bill to Kill Tech?

By Katie Dean, Wired.com, Jul. 22, 2004
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,64297,00.html/wn_ascii

"The Senate Judiciary Committee will consider a bill Thursday that would
hold technology companies liable for any product they make that
encourages people to steal copyright materials."

Antipiracy bill gains new ally

By Declan McCullagh, CNET News.com, July 21, 2004
http://news.com.com/2100-1027_3-5278980.html

"In a move that's alarming technology firms, the U.S. Copyright Office is
about to endorse new legislation that would outlaw peer-to-peer networks
and possibly some consumer electronics devices that could be used for
copyright piracy."

For a consumer rights lesson, hit rewind on the VCR

By MARK COOPER, Kansas City Star,
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/business/9193806.htm?1c


"For each step forward consumers want to take in the way we use
technology, the folks who sell us movies and music want to force us to
take two steps back."

From: digital-copyright Digest 23 Jul 2004 15:00:00 -0000 Issue 400

Chuck Hamaker