Tech firms fight copy-protection laws

ToshiroOC · Jan 24, 2003, 07:57 AM

Technology groups are going on the offensive against Hollywood in a bitter dispute over a call for government-mandated copy protection.

A coalition of companies including Apple Computer, Microsoft, Dell Computer, Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard and Intel said Thursday that they had joined together to oppose legislation backed by the movie studios that would allow the U.S. government to set antipiracy standards for PCs and consumer-electronics devices.

Their specific target is a bill by Sen. Fritz Hollings, D-S.C., which was introduced last year but has yet to be introduced to the 108th Congress, which began its session this month. By demonstrating broad opposition to the idea, and by enlisting libertarian and conservative advocacy groups in their coalition, the firms hope to bottle up any similar proposal this year.

Fred McClure, a former aide to President George H.W. Bush and head of the Washington office of the Winstead Consulting Group, has been hired to lead the effort, called the Alliance for Digital Progress.

"We oppose efforts by Hollywood to use the government to design antipiracy technology," McClure said at a press conference in Washington on Thursday.

From Hollywood's perspective, billions of dollars are at stake in the struggle, with peer-to-peer piracy threatening to erode video sales and make movie theaters a less attractive option. Its method has been to seek anticopying technology in computer and electronics hardware, either through industry deals or government mandates--a move that's anathema to technology companies, which worry about problematic technology requirements and customer rejection.

McClure indicated that last week's announcement of a cessation of hostilities between the music industry and a pair of tech lobby groups would not change the coalition's strategy. As previously reported, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has been a far more vocal proponent of the Hollings bill and government mandates than the Recording Industry Association of America.

--By Declan McCullagh, source: news.com (cnet)

Article can be read here.

ToshiroOC · Jan 24, 2003, 08:02 AM

Just something to note: I personally think that Hollings is a traitorous bastard and a disgrace to the party, and that any democrat who backs his view can go back to :censored:ing Eisner's :censored:

Jan 24, 2003, 07:57 AM	#1
ToshiroOC Unbiased. Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 4,812 Rep Power: 0	Tech firms fight copy-protection laws Technology groups are going on the offensive against Hollywood in a bitter dispute over a call for government-mandated copy protection. A coalition of companies including Apple Computer, Microsoft, Dell Computer, Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard and Intel said Thursday that they had joined together to oppose legislation backed by the movie studios that would allow the U.S. government to set antipiracy standards for PCs and consumer-electronics devices. Their specific target is a bill by Sen. Fritz Hollings, D-S.C., which was introduced last year but has yet to be introduced to the 108th Congress, which began its session this month. By demonstrating broad opposition to the idea, and by enlisting libertarian and conservative advocacy groups in their coalition, the firms hope to bottle up any similar proposal this year. Fred McClure, a former aide to President George H.W. Bush and head of the Washington office of the Winstead Consulting Group, has been hired to lead the effort, called the Alliance for Digital Progress. "We oppose efforts by Hollywood to use the government to design antipiracy technology," McClure said at a press conference in Washington on Thursday. From Hollywood's perspective, billions of dollars are at stake in the struggle, with peer-to-peer piracy threatening to erode video sales and make movie theaters a less attractive option. Its method has been to seek anticopying technology in computer and electronics hardware, either through industry deals or government mandates--a move that's anathema to technology companies, which worry about problematic technology requirements and customer rejection. McClure indicated that last week's announcement of a cessation of hostilities between the music industry and a pair of tech lobby groups would not change the coalition's strategy. As previously reported, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has been a far more vocal proponent of the Hollings bill and government mandates than the Recording Industry Association of America. --By Declan McCullagh, source: news.com (cnet) Article can be read here.

Jan 24, 2003, 08:02 AM	Thread Starter #2
ToshiroOC Unbiased. Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 4,812 Rep Power: 0	Just something to note: I personally think that Hollings is a traitorous bastard and a disgrace to the party, and that any democrat who backs his view can go back to :censored:ing Eisner's :censored: __________________ [img][/img] [color=White]Peace be with you, Joe.[/color] Driverheaven Staff Member (Supermoderator)