Orrin Hatch to chair Senate Intellectual Property subcommittee

March 18, 2005

johnzap used our news submit to tell us that Orrin Hatch has been put at the helm of the Senate
committee responsible for writing new copyright and patent laws. Needless to
say, this is a situation that will warrant our close attention! Orrin Hatch has
a history of turning on a dime and going full bore in whatever direction he is
facing after the about face. Making frightening suggestions and aligning himself
with those that are proposing harsh penalties and laws that could have
an alarming effect on those that enjoy or make a living from modern
day technologies.

Hatch, a Utah Republican, on Thursday was formally named chairman of the Senate Intellectual Property subcommittee. It's responsible for overseeing the U.S. Copyright Office and drafting legislation and treaties relating to copyright and patent laws.

A few years ago, Hatch was one of the more
vocal Washington critics of the Recording Industry Association of America.
He urged the RIAA to be more flexible in licensing music to online
distributors and even called a federal appeals court decision against
Napster "shortsighted from a policy perspective."

But when Napster's progeny arose in the form of peer-to-peer networks,
Hatch's political views seemed to flip-flop. Instead of defending
novel--and disruptive--technologies, Hatch became one of their most vocal
political antagonists.

Last year, he and Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont introduced the "Induce
Act," an anti-file-swapping bill that foes said could target products like
Apple Computer's iPod. Leahy is the senior Democrat on Hatch's new
subcommittee.

This does not sound very good for consumers rights or the related
industries they support. If these two politicians have their way with the
legal system, they could very well cast a chill on technology, at least it's
evolution, as no one will wish to risk capital on new devices or software
that could fall under their scrutiny. Had the Induce act passed and been taken
too seriously, a #2 pencil would have been illegal to operate in certain
situations.

As a reminder, Sen. Hatch is the loose cannon that suggested
copyright holders should have the ability to remotely destroy the computers
of music pirates. "I'm interested in doing that," Hatch said. "That may be the
only way you can teach someone about copyright...That would be the ultimate way
of making sure" no more copyright is infringed. After the press had a heyday
with a major political figure even humoring such a radical stance, Hatch
"clarified" his position quickly in a terse press release saying: "I do not
favor extreme remedies--unless no moderate remedies can be found."

Source: C|Net