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Quote:Today, Reps. Rich Boucher (D-Va.) and John Dolittle (R-Calif.) introduced what they call the "Freedom and Innovation Revitalizing U.S. Entrepreneurship" (or FAIR USE) Act they say will make it easier for digital media consumers to use the content they buy.

"The Digital Millennium Copyright Act dramatically tilted the copyright balance toward complete copyright protection at the expense of the public's right to fair use," Boucher said in a statement. "Without a change in the law, individuals will be less willing to purchase digital media if their use of the media within the home is severely circumscribed and the manufacturers of equipment and software that enables circumvention for legitimate purposes will be reluctant to introduce the products into the market."...

Quote:Some in Hollywood are proving Machiavelli's maxim that "innovation makes enemies of all those who prospered under the old regime." In the technology sector, where digital media (including high-definition TV, satellite radio, next-generation DVDs, and portable MP3 and audio devices) are more popular than ever, copyright litigation is not only a risk—it's a near certainty. Technology companies that could profit from the seemingly insatiable consumer demand for new devices are deciding not to come to market because of the litigation risk.

But there is a bright light on Capitol Hill in the battle to protect innovation. Representatives Rick Boucher (D–Va.) and John Doolittle (R–Calif.) recently introduced H.R. 1201, the Freedom and Innovation Revitalizing U.S. Entrepreneurship Act of 2007 (FAIR USE Act). This legislation would amend the law to eliminate the abusive secondary infringement provisions that are deterring technological innovation.

This new legislation would protect the fair use rights of users of copyrighted materials, ensuring that consumers who purchase digital media can make full use of it without facing untold damages...

Quote:Overly aggressive copyright protectors are getting a little push back from the CCIA, which contends consumers' fair use rights are being violated. "Every time an American consumer opens a book, plays a DVD or watches a wide range of broadcast programs, he or she is confronted by strong language warning of what they are not allowed to do with that product," reads its complaint to the FTC...

A tech association representing such industry stalwarts as Google and Microsoft is taking aim at what it sees as a stealth campaign to intimidate consumers from exercising their fair use rights with respect to copyrighted material.

The Computer & Communications Industry Association has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission Latest News about Federal Trade Commission stating that such organizations as Major League Baseball, the National Football League and NBC/Universal, to name just a few, have been misleading consumers for years about their rights under the fair use doctrine in copyright law...