Urgent Call To Action: Illegal File-Sharing Bill

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: dewayne () warpspeed com (Dewayne Hendricks)
Date: July 20, 2007 6:19:22 PM EDT
To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <xyzzy () warpspeed com>
Subject: [Dewayne-Net] Urgent Call To Action: Illegal File-Sharing Bill

[Note:  I'm posting this action alert from EDUCAUSE.  DLH]

From: Mark Luker <mluker () EDUCAUSE EDU>
Date: July 20, 2007 2:42:00 PM PDT
Subject: URGENT CALL TO ACTION

Colleagues,

The following call to action has been sent to all EDUCAUSE Primary  
Reps on behalf of ACE, AAU, NASULGIC, and EDUCAUSE. Please help us  
with IMMEDIATE CALLS or EMAILS, there is no time to waste!

Best regards,

Mark Luker
Vice President
EDUCAUSE


TO: Institutional Primary Reps
RE: EDUCAUSE Urgent Request

URGENT, ACT TODAY: AMENDMENT HARMFUL TO HIGHER EDUCATION

Dear Colleague,

I am writing to ask your help in a matter of urgency to higher  
education in general and the IT community in particular: U.S. Senate  
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) intends to offer a very harmful  
amendment, involving illegal file sharing, to the Higher Education  
Reauthorization Act when the Senate turns to this issue on July  
22-23. The amendment can be found at <http://tinyurl.com/2x45d2>. The  
amendment:

*  Makes the Secretary of Education an agent of the entertainment  
industry;

*  Requires the Secretary to take action using data given to her by  
the entertainment industry that is terribly inaccurate;

*  Requires targeted colleges and universities to plan for  
implementing a "technical solution" to illegal file sharing that does  
not yet exist for many campus environments;

*  Is aimed only at colleges and universities, and NOT other Internet  
service providers;

*  Ignores the fact that the higher education and entertainment  
communities are working together to develop a mutually acceptable  
technological solution to illegal file sharing, a process that should  
be allowed to continue without interference from the Federal government;

*  Ignores the fact that the bill already contains a provision that  
requires all colleges and universities to submit an annual report to  
the Secretary of Education providing details of the education and  
enforcement strategies being used on campus to reducing illegal file- 
sharing; and

*  Is yet another attempt by the Federal government to dictate the  
day-to-day operations of colleges and universities.

It is important that your institution (CEO, government relations  
official, and yourself) CALL today, not write, your state’s U.S.  
senators’ staff members for higher education issues and tell them how  
much higher education opposes this amendment. Please also call  
Senator Reid’s office (202-224-3542), Senator Edward Kennedy’s office  
(202-224-4543), and Senator Michael Enzi’s office (202-224-3424).  
Thank you for your help.

EDUCAUSE will provide you with further information when it is  
available, but please do not wait to make your calls.

Best regards,

Mark Luker
Vice President
EDUCAUSE

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