Do your part!

Trevelyan

Diamond Member
Dec 10, 2000
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http://www.digitalconsumer.org/

Go to that link and educate yourself!! Fill out the 3 field form and have it faxed (they fax it for you) to someone who can stop the Hollings Bill. What is the Hollings Bill?

Read:

"In 2001, Senator Hollings introduced a draft bill called the "Security Systems Standards and Certification Act" (SSSCA). Many people thought that the bill was so biased towards the media companies that it would never pass the draft stage. But on March 21st, the SSSCA became an official bill under the new name of the "Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act" (CBDTPA). This is bad news because it means that there's a real chance that this bill could become a law."

That is REALLY BAD. If you know anything about government methods, this is not a good thing... and every day the threat of this new bill passing becomes more and more possible... all the while the average computer sits unknowlingly by and lets it happen.

TAKE ACTION NOW!!

Here's some more info:

"Why the CBDTPA is bad for us.

Historically, our country has enjoyed a balance between the rights of copyright holders and the rights of citizens who legally acquire copyrighted works. Recent copyright legislation has eroded that balance to the detriment of consumers. The CBDTPA promises to shift the balance even further by placing more power in the hands of a small number of media companies. We see four major problems with the CBDTPA.

The CBDTPA does not protect fair use.

The CBDTPA will do almost nothing to safeguard consumers. Although section 3(e)(2) discusses personal use copies, it narrowly defines personal use as just one copy "at the time [the program] is lawfully performed". This exemption for personal use is substantially more narrow than the legal rights that consumers have had in the past.

Previous laws such as the DMCA also contained very narrow exemptions for personal use, and the consequence has been that media companies have defined personal use as exactly those exemptions and no more. Without a clear, positive assertion of personal use through the Consumer Technology Bill of Rights, consumers are left to the whims of media company lawyers when questions arise. Using history as a guide, this is a losing proposition for citizens and their ability to use legally acquired media in legitimate and expected noncommercial ways.

Before even more power is given to media companies, consumers need their rights defined and safeguarded."