Forty-Eight Hours To Stop The Broadcast Flag

[ConfuZed]

Should this be part of our fight?


The Broadcast Flag was Hollywood's plan to point its remote control at your digital TV. It was a set of bits in the DTV standard that let broadcasters meddle with what could be done with publicly available broadcast video - even if those restrictions stomped on your fair use rights.

The courts struck down the original FCC proposal. Now, the lobbyists have turned to Congress. Rumor has it that a senator will introduce an amendment on Tuesday in the Senate Commerce, Justice, and Science sub-committee to reintroduce the flag. On Thursday, it goes to a full committee vote.

If your state is listed below, then your senator is on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and you can help stop the Flag - but there isn't much time. Please write now.

https://secure.eff.org/site/Advocacy?page=UserAction&cmd=display&id=145

[cynatnite]

1. I really don't understand this

When it says 'meddle', what do they mean? Can you be more specific?

[ConfuZed]

2. Re:

I know as much as you do but I believe they are talking the TV industry trying prevent users from recording DTV content, as I see it if Bush fucks up on TV and this block is instituted there is no way of getting a clean recording of it.

You can read more here: http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/06/21/010242&from=rss

[cynatnite]

4. Are they saying they are trying to protect content

from being recorded?

I honestly can't see that holding up at all. People record stuff all the time. We do. We're recording 'Into the West' right now onto DVD. Hubby's out on the road and he wants to be able to see it. We'll still buy it when it comes out.

This is so lame.

on edit: done :)

[liveoaktx]

9. Another huge issue is that it would control hardware devices

that's one reason the FCC lost its case http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4290315.stm

FCC was over-reaching its authority by trying to dictate how the hardware should act in people's homes. FCC is supposed to be for controlling the airwaves, etc. That's why the MPAA is trying to avoid the courts and go straight to Congress.

[liveoaktx]

6. The broadcast flag =digital bits encoded in a broadcast stream

that can only be encoded and run on the same device it runs and records on. In other words, if you watch a movie and record the movie, you can't watch it on some other device but only on the recorder. Hardware manufacturers have to upgrade their devices to recognize and deal with the broadcast flag (form of copy protection).

One issue raised with the broadcast flag is that "fair use" is a dead issue with it. In other words, Jon Stewart style copy clips uploaded to the internet or sent via email to your pals would be a thing of the past. The ALA joined in that lawsuit against the FCC, in part because of that issue and the courts agreed. At that point the MPAA decided to go to congress instead of, at least at this time, appeal.

One Congressman, Rick Boucher understands the implications and is against it.

[burrowowl]

3. Done!

[ConfuZed]

5. Done.|

Your message has been sent to the following decision makers:

* Senator Dianne Feinstein

[ConfuZed]

7. *kick*

:kick:

[ConfuZed]

12. *kick* #2

:kick:

[ConfuZed]

14. Keeping this thread kicked

:kick:

[ConfuZed]

15. Last kick then we'll just wait and watch while our rights are stripped...

away in silence.

[the_spectator]

8. "you can help stop the Flag"

Ah, can those of us opposed to this use some OTHER name for it? (calling for a reframe!) People will just think, damn those librul flag-haters at it again! "It's the soldier, not the protester" and all that?

(Edited for spelling. And yes, I sent the letter too. Thanks for the heads up!)

[liveoaktx]

11. Uh, his title is "broadcast flag" so the reader who reads the

content isn't going to be confused, except maybe about what the broadcast flag is.

[AirAmFan]

13. How about callling it 'Hi-Def Jamming'? Or would that cause confusion

with 'Def Poetry Jam'?

[Touchdown]

10. Don't know if it will go anywhere but here's my personalization

Dear Ken Salazar and Wayne Allard;

As a constituent, I would like to voice my opposition to any Broadcast Flag amendment introduced in the Senate Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations subcommittee mark-up on Tuesday, or in full committee on Thursday.

As someone who has already spent $3000 contributing to a rather poor recovering economy to have HDTV, I find it appaling that I would be hamstrung in how I use my own property. The analog signals were supposed to be turned off by 2006, but further meddling in the ATSC format only stifles innovation, and retards further adoption by the majority of Americans.

At a time of record profits, where even box office bombs make a profit on DVD sales, this does nothing but let the entertainment industry have control over our entertainment choices as it is. One would think that 35 Machiavellian "reality based" game shows flooding the airwaves is enough control over our choices, not to mention the infotainment we get from our broadcast 4th estate. Do only pretty white girls get abducted and attacked by sharks?

Please oppose any attempts in the Senate appropriations committee that would disrupt technological innovation through the implementation of the Broadcast Flag.

Thank you for your consideration,

I left a few passages intact.

[Eric J in MN]

16. I filled out it out, but they said

it's just for "residents of Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, or Wisconsin."


I'm in Minnesota,

[Daphne08]

17. Kick!

[Eric J in MN]

18. kick

kick

[ConfuZed]

19. kick