theonlybob submitted an interesting article which mentions congresswoman Zoe Lofgren reintroducing legislation designed to protect consumer's ability to enjoy purchased digital copies of books, music and movies.
The legislation will, for example, give lawful consumers the ability to make personal uses of digital entertainment for use in their car, computer or mobile device:
"There is wide agreement to fight piracy, and it is something that needs to be stopped. But individual consumers are being denied their legitimate rights in the digital age," said Lofgren. "We can solve this problem, but lawsuits and locking down content are not the solutions." |
Traditionally, copyright laws have tried to balance the interests of copyright holders in the control and exploitation of their works with the interests of society in the free flow of ideas, information and commerce. This is sometimes referred to as "fair use." Lofgren seeks to maintain that balance in the digital age by finding ways to prevent and punish digital pirates without treating every consumer as a criminal. Lofgren's legislation is calling for specific changes in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
"This legislation will help all interested parties focus their eyes on the ultimate prize, which is a robust digital marketplace where digital rights management provides sufficient protection for content owners, where the IT industry has the freedom to create new and exciting devices and services, and where consumers are given a broad array of lawful alternatives that are affordable, reliable, secure, and respectful of their legitimate rights and expectations," said Lofgren.
The article mentions something we're reading more and more often: digital piracy will never be truly solved until consumers are given an affordable, reliable, legitimate and secure alternative..
Source: Mi2N
