[IP] FCC readies rule to block Internet piracy

[Dave Farber]

>Delivered-To: dfarber+ at ux13.sp.cs.cmu.edu
>Date: Sun, 19 Oct 2003 08:10:34 -0700
>From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne at warpspeed.com>
>=
>
>FCC readies rule to block Internet piracy
>
>By Jonathan Krim, Washington Post,  10/19/2003
><http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2003/10/19/fcc_readies_rule_t
o_block_internet_piracy/>
>
>WASHINGTON -- The federal government is preparing for the first time to
>require that personal computers and other consumer electronics devices
>contain technology to help block Internet piracy of digital entertainment.
>A rule being considered by the Federal Communications Commission is one of
>a series of proposals pushed by the entertainment industry to help thwart
>copying and online trading of movies and television shows that
>increasingly are being broadcast in digital form with high-quality picture
>and sound.
>
>But the new rule also would force consumers to purchase new equipment if
>they wanted to record enhanced digital-quality television programs and
>replay them on other machines.
>
>Opponents of the proposed rule, including many technology companies and
>consumer groups, say it won't work. They are especially concerned that the
>plan might lead to government regulation of how personal computers and
>other devices are built, particularly if hackers crack the system and
>further changes are deemed necessary.
>
>FCC officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they expect
>the agency to settle on details of the "broadcast flag" rule by the end of
>the month. The broadcast flag takes its name from the computer code that
>would be embedded in digital television signals and would be read by
>"compliant" devices such as a television or a digital video recorder.
>
>The rule would not affect consumers who record shows with VCRs. Nor would
>it affect programming received on a cable or satellite system, in part
>because consumers pay for that content.
>
>But the entertainment industry does not want digitally enhanced
>"high-value" entertainment sent free over the air to be easily copied and
>distributed on the Internet.
>
>FCC officials said they expect the final rule to enable competition among
>different means of deploying the flag system to protect broadcasts, rather
>than the government anointing one in particular.
>
>Unlike with recent FCC decisions on high-speed Internet access and media
>consolidation that have deeply split the five-member commission, none of
>the three Republicans and two Democrats has led a public campaign against
>the broadcast flag.
>
>"I'm optimistic we'll have a clean majority," said one senior agency
>official. "The commission has acted in the area of digital television in a
>very bipartisan fashion."

-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as eugen at leitl.org
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/

----- End forwarded message -----
-- Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a>
______________________________________________________________
ICBM: 48.07078, 11.61144 http://www.leitl.org
8B29F6BE: 099D 78BA 2FD3 B014 B08A  7779 75B0 2443 8B29 F6BE

[demime 0.97c removed an attachment of type application/pgp-signature]