Interesting People mailing list archives
IP: Tech activists disrupt copyright hearings
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 10:46:38 -0400
Tech activists disrupt copyright hearings By Declan McCullagh Special to ZDNet News July 18, 2002, 4:35 AM PT WASHINGTON--Enthusiasts of free software disrupted a Commerce Department meeting Wednesday, insisting on their right to debate the entertainment industry over anti-copying technologies. About a dozen vocal tech activists in the audience challenged speakers, including Jack Valenti, head of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), who equated piracy with theft and applauded digital rights management. "I'm going to accord you the utmost respect," Valenti said. "I'm going to listen to you, but let me finish...The first thing we ought to exhibit is good manners." The activists, mostly from New Yorkers for Fair Use, interrupted Valenti with hoots and jeers from the back of the room until the former presidential aide offered them the chance to reply. "I'm going to give you the opportunity to do that out of deference to Jack Valenti," said Phillip Bond, Undersecretary of Commerce for Technology. The Commerce Department organized the roundtable as a way for about 20 industry representatives to discuss plans for wrapping Internet content in encrypted layers of anti-copying technology. Earlier, Jay Sulzberger of LXNY.org managed to sneak up to the end of the table, squat next to one of the invited panelists, and be called on during the discussion. LXNY.org is a grassroots group in New York City that supports free software. Besides Valenti's MPAA, the groups represented included Walt Disney, the Recording Industry Association of America, Microsoft, Intel, News Corp., the Home Recording Rights Coalition, and digitalconsumer.org. Absent from the panel were representatives of the free software community, which irked the tech activists so much that they rented a van, left at 1 a.m. PDT for Washington, D.C., and made their presence known at Wednesday's panel. Joining them was hacker-hero Richard Stallman of the Free Software Foundation, who was already in town. Public outcry After the roundtable was over, a Commerce Department spokeswoman said that she could not recall such public outcry during a government roundtable. Security guards were called during the meeting, but stayed outside the room. <snip> http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1106-944728.html For archives see: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
Current thread:
- IP: Tech activists disrupt copyright hearings Dave Farber (Jul 18)