Post by Jose Saez on Sept 15, 2004 0:04:26 GMT -5
Big Anti-Induce Campaign Planned
By Katie Dean | Also by this reporter Page 1 of 1
02:00 AM Sep. 14, 2004 PT
Thousands of people have signed up to call their congressional representatives Tuesday to protest the Induce Act, a controversial copyright bill that many fear would undermine the legal protections that allow consumers to make personal copies of music or movies they've bought.
The Induce Act, officially known as the Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act (SB2560), was introduced in June by Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont). It would hold technology companies liable for making products that encourage customers to infringe copyright.
Today's the Day. Critics believe the Induce Act conflicts with the landmark 1984 Betamax Supreme Court decision, which ruled that home videotape recorders were legal because they have "substantial non-infringing uses," even though some people might use the machines to infringe copyrights. Though the entertainment industry opposed the machine at the time, the ruling paved the way for the development of the enormous home video and DVD market, and other technological innovations of the past 20 years.
"We really needed to get the attention of senators and representatives and show them that people really care about this," said Nicholas Reville, co-founder of Downhill Battle, a music activism website that is organizing the call-in campaign. "So much of the back-and-forth is between the movie and music industries on one side and the electronics industry on the other side. This isn't just about what one company wants versus what another company wants, but it's about the public good."
Downhill Battle -- which also organized a February protest against the music industry called Grey Tuesday -- created a special website, Save Betamax, to rally citizens to call their legislators. More than 2,800 people had signed up as of late Monday, according to the website.
"A lot of politicians just think this is a business issue and it's not on the public radar," Reville said. "I think it's going to be a real wake-up call for these members."
Reville said the group is targeting the most influential members of Congress on this issue: Sens. Bill Frist (R-Tennessee), Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota), John McCain (R-Arizona), Ernest Hollings (D-South Carolina), Hatch and Leahy; and Reps. Tom DeLay (R-Texas), Nancy Pelosi (D-California), Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin), John Conyers (D-Michigan), Joe Barton (R-Texas) and John Dingell (D-Michigan).
Entrepreneur Bob Young, co-founder of Red Hat and founder of digital publishing technology company Lulu, has signed up to call Congress to protest the bill.
"We need legislators to spend more time thinking more carefully about protecting the innovation engine that drives the American economy and to be highly suspicious of any initiative proposed by the existing dominant players," Young said. "The Induce Act will make it more difficult for the next generation of entrepreneurs to be successful."
He said heavyweights like the music industry have spent more time convincing legislators to protect their current business models than serving their own customers' needs.
Television, movie and music companies have given $168,928 in campaign donations to Hatch since 1999, according to Opensecrets.org, a website run by the Center for Responsive Politics, an organization that tracks campaign donations. Leahy received $232,050 in the same period. The internet, computer and telecommunications industries donated less money to each.
"It simply makes our task (as entrepreneurs) that much more difficult," Young said. "It tilts the playing field in favor of the established suppliers at the expense of innovators."
Reville said it is critical that people express support for the Betamax decision and oppose Induce now, before the legislation moves any further.
"Once (the bill) is through, it's going to be 10 times as hard to win those rights back," Reville said.
By Katie Dean | Also by this reporter Page 1 of 1
02:00 AM Sep. 14, 2004 PT
Thousands of people have signed up to call their congressional representatives Tuesday to protest the Induce Act, a controversial copyright bill that many fear would undermine the legal protections that allow consumers to make personal copies of music or movies they've bought.
The Induce Act, officially known as the Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act (SB2560), was introduced in June by Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont). It would hold technology companies liable for making products that encourage customers to infringe copyright.
Today's the Day. Critics believe the Induce Act conflicts with the landmark 1984 Betamax Supreme Court decision, which ruled that home videotape recorders were legal because they have "substantial non-infringing uses," even though some people might use the machines to infringe copyrights. Though the entertainment industry opposed the machine at the time, the ruling paved the way for the development of the enormous home video and DVD market, and other technological innovations of the past 20 years.
"We really needed to get the attention of senators and representatives and show them that people really care about this," said Nicholas Reville, co-founder of Downhill Battle, a music activism website that is organizing the call-in campaign. "So much of the back-and-forth is between the movie and music industries on one side and the electronics industry on the other side. This isn't just about what one company wants versus what another company wants, but it's about the public good."
Downhill Battle -- which also organized a February protest against the music industry called Grey Tuesday -- created a special website, Save Betamax, to rally citizens to call their legislators. More than 2,800 people had signed up as of late Monday, according to the website.
"A lot of politicians just think this is a business issue and it's not on the public radar," Reville said. "I think it's going to be a real wake-up call for these members."
Reville said the group is targeting the most influential members of Congress on this issue: Sens. Bill Frist (R-Tennessee), Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota), John McCain (R-Arizona), Ernest Hollings (D-South Carolina), Hatch and Leahy; and Reps. Tom DeLay (R-Texas), Nancy Pelosi (D-California), Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin), John Conyers (D-Michigan), Joe Barton (R-Texas) and John Dingell (D-Michigan).
Entrepreneur Bob Young, co-founder of Red Hat and founder of digital publishing technology company Lulu, has signed up to call Congress to protest the bill.
"We need legislators to spend more time thinking more carefully about protecting the innovation engine that drives the American economy and to be highly suspicious of any initiative proposed by the existing dominant players," Young said. "The Induce Act will make it more difficult for the next generation of entrepreneurs to be successful."
He said heavyweights like the music industry have spent more time convincing legislators to protect their current business models than serving their own customers' needs.
Television, movie and music companies have given $168,928 in campaign donations to Hatch since 1999, according to Opensecrets.org, a website run by the Center for Responsive Politics, an organization that tracks campaign donations. Leahy received $232,050 in the same period. The internet, computer and telecommunications industries donated less money to each.
"It simply makes our task (as entrepreneurs) that much more difficult," Young said. "It tilts the playing field in favor of the established suppliers at the expense of innovators."
Reville said it is critical that people express support for the Betamax decision and oppose Induce now, before the legislation moves any further.
"Once (the bill) is through, it's going to be 10 times as hard to win those rights back," Reville said.