[UFO Chicago] [ppeterson@Northpark.edu: FW: Fair Use update from Rep. Rick Boucher]

[Peter A. Peterson II]

   -----Original Message----- 
From: Walraven, Tracy [mailto:Tracy.Walraven@mail.house.gov] 
Sent: Friday, October 11, 2002 1:24 PM 
To: Walraven, Tracy 
Subject: Fair Use update from Rep. Rick Boucher

    

			 Congress of the United States

			    House of Representatives

				  Rick Boucher

			     9th District, Virginia

			    NINTHNET@mail.house.gov

			 HTTP://www.house.gov/boucher/

				October 11, 2002

    

	   Knowing of your interest in assuring that people who
   purchase digital media can enjoy a full range of personal use of
the material they have acquired, I am writing to ask for your help in
achieving passage of a new legislative measure I have introduced which
will reaffirm the Fair Use Doctrine and promote consumer rights. 

	   Last week, I introduced H.R. 5544, the Digital Media
   Consumers' Rights Act, with my colleague John Doolittle of
California.  The legislation ensures that consumers can make full
lawful use of digital media that they have purchased.  People who buy
audio, video or text in digital form will be able to use the material
in the manner most convenient to them as long as they do not violate
copyright laws.  The bill also ensures that consumers will know
whether a CD they plan to purchase has copy protection technology
which will affect the consumer's ability to record from or play the CD
in devices such as computers.  

   The bill reaffirms the Fair Use Doctrine which is at the foundation
   of consumers' ability to use digital material.  We all use the Fair
Use Doctrine in everyday life.  From a student who copies a page from
a library book for use in a term paper, to the newspaper reporter who
excerpts materials for a story, to the TV viewer who records a
broadcast program for viewing at a later time, the Fair Use doctrine
facilitates common everyday activities.  Fair Use permits limited
non-commercial use of lawfully acquired copyrighted material without
the necessity of having to obtain the prior consent of the copyright
owner.  Unfortunately, the Fair Use doctrine is at risk in the digital
era, as content companies deliver digital media with technological
protection measures, such as passwords and digital rights management
tools, which current law makes it a crime to bypass. 

   H.R. 5544 reaffirms Fair Use by permitting consumers to bypass
   these technological protection measures in order to make lawful use
of the material.  

   The leading consumer and Fair Use organizations, major library and
   higher education organziations and a number of high-tech, consumer
electronics and telecommunications firms have already endorsed the
bill.  These entities range from Intel, Gateway and Verizon to the
Association of American Universities, the American Library
Association, the Consumers Union and the Electronic Frontier
Foundation. 

   I urge to contact your member of the U.S. House of Representatives
   and ask that he or she co-sponsor H.R. 5544 sponsored by
Congressmen Rick Boucher and John Doolittle.  An email, phone call or
letter to the Member of Congress representing your area with this
simple message will be of great benefit to our effort to protect
digital consumer rights.

   I encourage you to visit my website (www.house.gov/boucher) for
   more information about the Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act.

   Thanking you for your help, I am with kind regards and best wishes,

    

   Sincerely,

   Rick Boucher Member of Congress

   RB/jem 

----- End forwarded message -----

-- 
Peter A. Peterson II, technician and musician.  
---=[ http://tastytronic.net/~pedro/ ]=---