Subject: [linux-audio-dev] URGENT ALERT: Stop the "Broadcast Flag" at the FCC
From: Seth Johnson (seth.johnson_AT_realmeasures.dyndns.org)
Date: Sat Oct 25 2003 - 06:30:26 EEST
New Yorkers for Fair Use Action Alert:
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Please send a comment to the FCC AGAIN, opposing the "Broadcast Flag"
Proposal
Tell the FCC to Serve the Public, Not Hollywood!
Okay, you folks understand this issue -- it's very important to send word to
the FCC in the next few days, that you OPPOSE the Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking #02-230. This rule would make it illegal for ordinary citizens
to own fully functional digital television devices. We've made it easy;
just follow the links below.
1) Please send in your comments to the FCC using the form provided below.
Tell them that the movie industry should not have a special privilege to own
fully-functional digital television devices. Read the alert below for
details.
2) Please forward this alert to any other interested parties that you know
of, who would understand and see the importance of this issue.
3) Volunteer to help us with this and other alerts related to your rights to
flexible information technology in the future. Two roles you can take up
are to become a Press Outreach Campaigner or a Commentator. Simply reply to
this email to show your interest.
New Yorkers for Fair Use Action Alert:
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Tell the FCC to Serve the Public, Not Hollywood!
Send Public Comments to the FCC AGAIN to Stop the "Broadcast Flag"
Please follow these links to let the FCC know that the public's rights are
at stake:
http://www.nyfairuse.org/action/fcc.flag/
What's Going On:
The FCC is expected to decide this week that digital televisions will be
required to work only according to the rules set by Hollywood, through the
use of a "broadcast flag" assigned to digital TV broadcasts.
As a result of the deliberations of a group called the Broadcast Protection
Discussion Group, which has assiduously discounted the public's rights to
use flexible information technology, Hollywood and leading technology
players have devised a plan that would only allow "professionals" to have
fully-functional devices for processing digital broadcast materials.
Almost a year ago, you responded to our call to tell the FCC that they are
to serve the public, not Hollywood. You delivered more than 4000 comments
to the the FCC's public comments system in the space of the last week of
their public comments period for the broadcast flag proposal. As a result
of this, Congress took notice and called a hearing to question the FCC on
the issue. When they asked the FCC's representative whether he believed
they could make this copyright-related policy decision without stepping
beyond their bounds and into Congress's jurisdiction, they answered in one
word: "Yes."
Now, their period of considering the proposal is drawing to an end, and they
are expected to decide to mandate the broadcast flag in a matter of days, by
the end of this month. It's time to demonstrate AGAIN that the public's
interests take priority over the wishes of the MPAA.
The idea of the broadcast flag is to implement universal content control and
abolish the right of free citizens to own effective tools for employing
digital content in useful ways. Hollywood and content producers must not be
allowed to determine the rights of the public to use flexible information
technology. The broadcast flag is theft.
In the ongoing fight with old world content industries, the most essential
rights and interests in a free society are those of the public. Free
citizens are not mere consumers; they are not a separate group from
so-called "professionals." The stakeholders in a truly just information
policy in a free society are the public, not those who would reserve special
rights to control public uses of information technology.
Please let the FCC know that the public's rights are at stake:
http://www.nyfairuse.org/action/fcc.flag/.
Here is a page pulling together and summarizing the comments submitted after
the last comments campaign:
http://www.nyfairuse.org/bfpc/
Here is our Reply Comment:
http://www.nyfairuse.org/bfpc/extdoc/NPRM%2002-231%20Reply%20Comments.pdf
----The following link is the FCC's "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" for the broadcast flag.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-02-231A1.pdf
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b28 : Fri Oct 31 2003 - 12:56:01 EET