[linux-audio-dev] URGENT ALERT: Stop the "Broadcast Flag" at the FCC

New Yorkers for Fair Use Action Alert: -------------------------------------- Please send a comment to the FCC AGAIN, opposing the "Broadcast Flag" Proposal Tell the FCC to Serve the Public, Not Hollywood! Okay, you folks understand this issue -- it's very important to send word to the FCC in the next few days, that you OPPOSE the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking #02-230. This rule would make it illegal for ordinary citizens to own fully functional digital television devices. We've made it easy; just follow the links below. 1) Please send in your comments to the FCC using the form provided below. Tell them that the movie industry should not have a special privilege to own fully-functional digital television devices. Read the alert below for details. 2) Please forward this alert to any other interested parties that you know of, who would understand and see the importance of this issue. 3) Volunteer to help us with this and other alerts related to your rights to flexible information technology in the future. Two roles you can take up are to become a Press Outreach Campaigner or a Commentator. Simply reply to this email to show your interest. New Yorkers for Fair Use Action Alert: -------------------------------------- Tell the FCC to Serve the Public, Not Hollywood! Send Public Comments to the FCC AGAIN to Stop the "Broadcast Flag" Please follow these links to let the FCC know that the public's rights are at stake: http://www.nyfairuse.org/action/fcc.flag/ What's Going On: The FCC is expected to decide this week that digital televisions will be required to work only according to the rules set by Hollywood, through the use of a "broadcast flag" assigned to digital TV broadcasts. As a result of the deliberations of a group called the Broadcast Protection Discussion Group, which has assiduously discounted the public's rights to use flexible information technology, Hollywood and leading technology players have devised a plan that would only allow "professionals" to have fully-functional devices for processing digital broadcast materials. Almost a year ago, you responded to our call to tell the FCC that they are to serve the public, not Hollywood. You delivered more than 4000 comments to the the FCC's public comments system in the space of the last week of their public comments period for the broadcast flag proposal. As a result of this, Congress took notice and called a hearing to question the FCC on the issue. When they asked the FCC's representative whether he believed they could make this copyright-related policy decision without stepping beyond their bounds and into Congress's jurisdiction, they answered in one word: "Yes." Now, their period of considering the proposal is drawing to an end, and they are expected to decide to mandate the broadcast flag in a matter of days, by the end of this month. It's time to demonstrate AGAIN that the public's interests take priority over the wishes of the MPAA. The idea of the broadcast flag is to implement universal content control and abolish the right of free citizens to own effective tools for employing digital content in useful ways. Hollywood and content producers must not be allowed to determine the rights of the public to use flexible information technology. The broadcast flag is theft. In the ongoing fight with old world content industries, the most essential rights and interests in a free society are those of the public. Free citizens are not mere consumers; they are not a separate group from so-called "professionals." The stakeholders in a truly just information policy in a free society are the public, not those who would reserve special rights to control public uses of information technology. Please let the FCC know that the public's rights are at stake: http://www.nyfairuse.org/action/fcc.flag/. Here is a page pulling together and summarizing the comments submitted after the last comments campaign: http://www.nyfairuse.org/bfpc/ Here is our Reply Comment: http://www.nyfairuse.org/bfpc/extdoc/NPRM%2002-231%20Reply%20Comments.pdf ---- The following link is the FCC's "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" for the broadcast flag. http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-02-231A1.pdf