Like Recording/Timeshifting? "Analog hole" legislation introduced

[stattik]

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20051218-5797.html

Snippit

"A frightening bit of legislation was introduced to the US House Judiciary Committee on Friday. The Digital Transition Content Security Act of 2005 (PDF) is sponsored by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Rep. John Conyers (D-MI)"

"Section 201 (b) (1) of the DTCSA gives you all of 90 minutes from the initial reception of a "unit of content" to watch your recordings."

"The proposed legislation defines four "Technical Content Protection Responses" that consumer devices will have based on the type of signal transmitted in a broadcast.

    * Copy Prohibited Content, which would mark the transmission as off limits for copying or recording of any kind
    * Copy Unlimited No Redistribution Content, which means that the analog content could be passed through to a digital device for copying, but redistribution would be limited
    * Copy One Generation Content, which would allow viewers to make a single generation of copies
    * No Technical Protection Applied, programming that could still be recorded. "

The article goes into more detail.


Here's Sensenbrenner's contact info if you feel inclined to voice your concern. I did.

http://www.house.gov/sensenbrenner/contact.htm



Steve

[Doug Mohr]

My Message to Jimmy S.

Congressman Sensenbrenner,

As a small business owner and member of the RNC, I was outraged to see your name associated with this proposal.

In 1998, you worked to slow down Disney's steamroll through congress with your amendment to the "Sony Bonno Copyright Term Extension Act" H.AMDT.532 (A002) which turned out to be the most notable example of  corporate interests generating public law for their own monetary gains. You can imagine my shock to see you cross sides with the "Digital Transition Content Security Act of 2005"

The media conglomerates do not own the public airways. The people do. The people that pay taxes and contribute our hard earned money to elect representatives that are supposed to represent us, not the media companies.

After reading the thirty-five pages of dribble, I was painfully aware that your alliances are no longer with the people who have worked to get you elected, but instead open to the best lobbyists.

I, as most other Republicans, believe in free market economy, not one that uses power and influence to write their own laws as the media industry is trying to.

Noticing how many donations from RIAA members and their lobbyist groups you have received since February, obviously my donations are no longer needed and I will make sure the RNC and my friends know why I am not contributing next year. I guess I'll start donating to specific candidates instead of the RNC if the Elected Republicans are not following the party any longer.

Sincerely,

Douglas Mohr
President
Think IT Group, Inc.
Direct 414.640.9935

Think IT Group, Inc. 2136 N Palmer Street Milwaukee, WI 53212-3220
Tel 414.265.5777 Fax 414.265.5714 http://www.think-it-group.com

[Andrew Grall]

I am ashamed of both representatives - Democrat AND Rebublican - who introduced this legislation.

It doesn't even surprise me anymore though.  Wisconsin used to be a progressive state.  That is all in the past with the utter crap that has been pushed through the Assembly and Senate in Wisconsin lately...

[Tom Snyder]

On more thing that will make this even more frustrating:

From Mr. Senesenbrenner's very lips in a personal meeting with him on Spam legislation:

DO NOT SEND YOUR COMMENTS VIA EMAIL. They tend to get disregarded as pontentially machine generated contacts."

But also be aware of the fact that letters sent to the address in D.C. go through so many anthrax and other security detectors that it maay take up to 90 days for them to be received.

A letter to his Broookfield office, followed up by a phone call to confirm reciept should  be the best course of action.

I'm off to write my letter now.

[Doug Mohr]

Three interesting facts that I learned while doing some research:

1. Congress has extended the copyright terms 11 times. Each time was within a few years of when Mickey Mouse was set to enter public domain.

2. Mickey Mouse was plagiarized from "Steamboat Bill", a Buster Keaton character. However, the copyright laws of 1923 were not what they are today. If they were, Buster Keaton would own the rights to Mickey Mouse.

3. Walt Disney created his most famous stories like "Snow White," "Fantasia," "Pinocchio," "Dumbo," "Bambi," "Song of the South," "Cinderella," "Alice in Wonderland," "Robin Hood," "Peter Pan," "Lady and the Tramp," "Mulan," "Sleeping Beauty," "101 Dalmatians," "The Sword in the Stone," "The Jungle Book" and "Treasure Planet" were all remakes of stories that had entered public domain just before he released his versions. At that time (and until after Walt's death) that term was only 28-56 years. Now it is up well over 120 years and can under the right circumstances last over 200 years.

Interesting how Walt Disney, who cherished and utilized the constitution's take on copyright would have his successors *******ize his values for their own profit.

Doug

[Joseph S]

Million bucks says he didn't write a word of it. Gutless cash grab.

[TPK]

This kind of thing makes me sick....

However I don't see this crap as something that prevents me from recording television...

Instead I see it as yet another hoop I am going to have to jump through in the future as I am forced to purchase some sort of electronic device (made by someone in China) that I will have to attach to my AV system (and probably power with yet another plug into my AC power strip) so I can record television....

... What a pain ....

[Mark Strube]

Once again the gutless, worthless beurocrats of big party politics prove to the country that the people they're supposed to be representing do not matter... only money matters. Why can't more people open their eyes and vote Libertarian? As long as it's another big party, it's more of the same, and it always will be.

[TPK]

Once again the gutless, worthless beurocrats of big party politics prove to the country that the people they're supposed to be representing do not matter... only money matters. Why can't more people open their eyes and vote Libertarian? As long as it's another big party, it's more of the same, and it always will be.

I'm sorry...

You weren't under the impression that we live in a democracy, with a representative government were you???

Oh well, discussion for another place and another time I guess...

 :rofl:

[Mark Strube]

I'm sorry...

You weren't under the impression that we live in a democracy, with a representative government were you???

That's what most people seem to think... it's sad really. Even if we truly were, democracy is overrated anyway.

On more thing that will make this even more frustrating:

From Mr. Senesenbrenner's very lips in a personal meeting with him on Spam legislation:

DO NOT SEND YOUR COMMENTS VIA EMAIL. They tend to get disregarded as pontentially machine generated contacts."

Funny I have the same policy with the sounds that come out of his mouth. :rofl: