--- Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 09:45:54 -0500 From: Rick Bradley <rick@private> To: Declan McCullagh <declan@private> Subject: Re: [Politech] Cato Institute on FCC's broadcast flag regulations Message-ID: <20031113144554.GB18011@private> References: <6.0.0.22.2.20031113002628.0216b110@private> Mime-Version: 1.0 * Declan McCullagh (declan@private) [031113 01:40]: > The Broadcast Flag Decision: The FCC Bends Over Backward to Protect > Over-the-Air Television and the HDTV Transition [...] > As someone who's obsessed with HDTV and currently owns three HD sets, I > certainly appreciate the value of high-definition television programming > and want to make sure it doesn't disappear. But while the broadcast and > content industry are correct in asserting that the widespread > redistribution of high-definition broadcast content over the Internet might > represent a serious problem, it's hard to believe anyone in America today > has enough bandwidth or processing power to be downloading and > redistributing massive digital television files via the Net. In the future, > however, when broadband speeds (hopefully) multiply, content providers > might have more reason to be concerned about the financial viability of > certain programs if those shows could be redistributed to the world at the > click of a button. In such a world, it might make sense for them to embed > digital broadcast flags in their programming, or even encrypt their > programming at the source and require consumers to purchase new equipment > to decrypt that programming before it can be viewed. But it is an entirely > different matter to have the FCC set up a mandatory regulatory regime that > forces such solutions on the entire nation. The contradiction inherent in a "broadcast flag" is that they're trying to prevent redistribution of content THAT IS BROADCAST OVER THE AIRWAVES FOR ANYONE TO RECEIVE. Noone needs the Internet to get this content since it's available to anyone who wants it. For free. The Broadcast Flag is about content control and not just content that is broadcast over the air. Once VCRs/Tivos/etc. are required to obey the broadcast flag regime the same flag will be turned on on non-broadcast content as well. The MPAA has been trying for years to get complete control over distribution, recording, playback, and even use. The DMCA is about this, as was the Hollings Bill (SSSCA/CBDTPA), as are the S-DMCA bills being fought in the state legislatures. The DMCA was rammed through. Outcry shut down the Hollings Bill. The S-DMCA's are running up against huge opposition at the state level. The FCC, however, is much easier for Big Business to manipulate than bodies accountable to We The People. Rick -- http://www.rickbradley.com MUPRN: 132 | kinds of images random email haiku | that really do seem to bear | out Debord's thesis. _______________________________________________ Politech mailing list Archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Moderated by Declan McCullagh (http://www.mccullagh.org/)
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