Heads Up -Broadcast Flag vote w/begin to erode your right to copy from TV!

[cyberpj]

They may start with HBO and premium channels but far-ranging possibilities could include anything, like, say, Presidential Press Conferences...State of the Unions...News Broadcasts...anything they want to attach the broadcast flag to. In any other administration that might sound far-fetched, huh?

MPAA may sneak Broadcast Flag thru Senate attached to unrelated legislation as early as TODAY.

Broadcast Flag chapter 93: MPAA be gettin’ sneaky!
Posted Jun 20, 2005, 8:14 PM ET by Barb Dybwad

Okay, listen up — the MPAA may have tried to fake us out, but it looks like we haven’t yet heard the last of the Broadcast Flag.

Word on the street is that the Broadcast Flag bill may be snuck into a Senate Appropriations Committee spending bill that will be up for consideration as early as tomorrow.

Looks like they’re taking pointers from the Real ID Act, which also made it through Congress on the coattails of a spending bill — sneaky, sneaky!

If you live in any of the states who have members on the committee (MS, AK, PA, NM, MO, KY, MT, AL, NH, UT, ID, TX, OH, KS, CO, WV, HI, VT, IA, MD, NV, WI, WA, ND, CA, IL, SD, LA), call them now. There’s no time for letter-sending.

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000073047473/


FAQ: What is a broadcast flag:
http://www.mpaa.org/Press/Broadcast_Flag_QA.htm

Senate Appropriations Committee:
http://appropriations.senate.gov/members/members.htm

Contacting Senators:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

[wakeme2008]

1. Maybe I just do not understand this but...

The broadcast flag is a sequence of digital bits embedded in a television program that signals that the program must be protected from unauthorized redistribution. It does not distort the viewed picture in any way. Implementation of this broadcast flag will permit digital TV stations to obtain high value content and assure consumers a continued source of attractive, free, over-the-air programming without limiting the consumer’s ability to make personal copies.

If it "without limiting" to make copies... Then what's it stop...

[cyberpj]

2. Well, now that you bring it up - I asked my super tech friend

the one who originally asked me to post this here and he said:

"From: motty@xxxxxxxx
To: cyberpj@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: So why are you against broadcast flags?

You gotta be kidding me!
That IS an MPAA propaganda site FAQ.

Any tech worth his brains knows that's what they say, and it won't be what they do...they will disallow everyone to record everything...you should know this better than anyone!"

This is a friend who does lots and lots with digital video and the Internet and cable nets and he and his equally knowledgeable pals have been ranting against this for a long time. In their opinion, this is one of the preliminary stages and if they're willing to hide this step as a last minute amendment to an unrelated bill then what do you think that means for the next step?

So - I guess you have to decide for yourself based on the trustworthyness of corporate media. :shrug: