IP: Tech activists disrupt copyright hearings

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

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

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