Sensenbrenner attacks Fair Use bill
p2pnet.net News:- US judiciary committee chairman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr, accused of abusing his power for the benefit of the recording industry, has joined with other keen entertainment industry enthusiasts John Conyers, Jr, and Lamar S. Smith, to try to block the Digital Media Consumers’ Rights Act (DMCRA, HR 107).
Rick Boucher and John Doolittle re-introduced the Digital Media Consumers’ Rights Act (DMCRA, HR 107) to enact labelling requirements for ‘usage-impaired copy-protected’ compact discs, as well as amendments to Hollywood’s infamous 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
HR 107 would allow people to by-pass DRM systems to make copies for personal use, and would also let academics do the same for research purposes.
But, Not if we can help it, say messrs Sensenbrenner, Conyers and Smith.
“We strongly oppose the substance of H.R. 107,” they say in a joint statement which includes a powerful swing at Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Joe Barton who’s solidly behind HR 107.
His support angers Sensenbrenner not only because it adds serious weight to the fair use legislation, but also because he sees Barton’s contributions as a direct threat to his turf.
“This legislation would eviscerate a key provision of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA), which is successfully protecting copyrighted works and providing consumers access to more digital content than ever before.
“In fact, a DVD player is now as common a household item as the VCR was 15 years ago precisely because of the DMCA. H.R. 107 would undo a law that is working and destroy the careful balance in copyright law between consumers’ rights and intellectual property rights.
“Furthermore, our strong objections to the substance of H.R. 107 are matched by our objections to what appears to be a bold jurisdictional power grab.
“The Judiciary Committee has – and has long had – exclusive jurisdiction over copyright law. Rest assured, we will wholeheartedly oppose this move in a bipartisan fashion, as we would expect Energy and Commerce Committee leaders to do if we attempted to write energy legislation.”
