A Pro-DRM FCC Commissioner
Last night a FCC commissioner came out in favor of…DRM? Yes, at a reception sponsored by the DC Bar Association in her honor, Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate, the newest addition to the FCC, spoke eloquently on a number of issues but perhaps most remarkable was her advocacy for strong copyright protections. Hailing from The Music City, Nashville, this former Tennessee Regulatory Commissioner proclaimed her love for country music and the artists that wish to use DRM to protect their content.
Now I have no beef with DRM and think content owners should be free to utilize any scheme they want if informed consumers are willing to spend money on it. But regardless of your views of DRM (and TLF bloggers differ I know), I don’t think any of us here want the FCC to get more involved in this matter. The broadcast flag was an FCC rule that allowed the recording of digital broadcasts only by approved hardware devices that could recognize whether or not a certain data stream can be recorded, or if there are any restrictions on recorded content. That rule was invalidated last year in a case before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, which found that the FCC had exceeded its authority by creating this rule.
Commissioner Tate said that despite the FCC’s lack of legal authority, she can still use her bully pulpit to bring awareness to content protection issues. Fair enough–policymakers, even Supreme Court justices, use their position of prominence to discuss many issues. The convergence of communications and copyright is indeed a legitimate policy issue. Hopefully Commissioner Tate will use her pulpit to advocate for market-driven solutions, not greater FCC authority. She would be effective at this too. She comes across as warm and engaging and persuasive.
Copyright protection shouldn’t be hindered by government through some sort of affirmative access requirement (see France). However, copyright protection shouldn’t be mandated by government either–hardware companies and content interests must learn to play together with the marketplace, not the Grand Ole FCC, as their venue.
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Interesting that indie artists in Nashville don't want DRM, but the big wig Country Music stars do...but I guess that makes sense. They are trying to protect their millions, as opposed to spreading their art.
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http://www.firethefcc.com/fcc-deborah-tate17110...
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jd
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What makes Commissioner Tate qualified for her office? She has a B.A. in PolySci and a J.D. Couldn't this administration find someone who at least has a B.A. in Math or something and belongs to the ARRL?
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Nominated and unanimously confirmed...apparently, lapdogs abound.
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Oh, Ms. Tate may be likeable... even personable, vivacious, charming... with fantastic hair!
But—and I realize that I'm in a libertarian crowd here—nevertheless, one of the whole points motivating progressive reform in the early 20th century was that elected officials, responsible for the general welfare in an increasingly industrialized society, could not be expected to have the expert background necessary to competently regulate in detail. The concept quits working when the elected professional politicians fill these appointed commissions with more unqualified politicians.
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Well here is your chance Tate! I am a Tennessean with a family in a rural community and I am also the founder of International Fair Use Day (www.fairuseday.com). I look forward to working with you to help those familys whose rights are being managed :)
Remember, a managed right is a right lost.
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jd
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There is NO need for protection in the marketplace. Why? Because 99.9% of those who are buying stuff illegally, DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO BUY THE SAME ITEM LEGALLY.
So the people who make Adobe Acrobat or ACDSee aren't really losing a sale, because the people downloading stuff illegally wouldn't buy it anyway because legally it is too expensive for their pocketbooks to stretch that far.
Twisted logic, in the minds of some people, but it is logic that makes sense!
Lower the prices, from the $50 or $60 dollars that new games cost now, the $20-30 dollars that new DVD's cost, and the $20 that new CD's cost, and you might make more sales and make more money, because people are willing to buy from you for the peace of mind that "Hey, I ain't getting no viruses with the real thing! That's worth paying 50% of what they used to charge for!"
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Kami,
DRM is an acronym for "Digital Rights Managment."
It is the irrational belief that a "content producer" can sell someone a secret number without letting the "consumer" know what that number is.
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anything you want to do with you computer
it simply wont let you
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There are certain things that it won\'t let you do, like make backup copies of your legally purchased games and music (fair use allowed), listen to music on non-approved devices (not allowed by law), and other things.
Though, some of the restrictions that they are pushing for are REALLY over the top, like a HD-DVD player that won\'t allow a movie to be played, until they see if it is on a master \"blacklist\" somewhere for being copied by pirates.
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I am very confused by this statement, copyright is nothing more then a state granted Monopoly. Are you advocating for the abolition of copyright or just the removal of state intervention in the technology debate about protecting copyright with technology?
Brian Rowe
Freedom for IP
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