12-16-96. NYP: "Global Debate Over Treaties On Copyright" Given the overwhelming domestic objections to most of the treaty proposals, the obvious questions are: Who does support them? And why is the United States pushing so hard for them in Geneva? In fact, the main beneficiaries of the new copyright rules are the highest-stake copyright holders: rich, politically powerful entertainment and media conglomerates, which fear that pirated material will destroy the lucrative international market for products that can be digitally copied and distributed globally. In the digital world, computer software companies are already effectively using various data encryption technologies to protect their products for distribution over the network. And if progress to date is any indication, these technologies will become even more sophisticated and effective over time. ----- SAV_eit