kamikazee used our news
submit to tell us that senator Sam Brownback has
said Wednesday that he has drafted a bill that would limit the ability of
record labels, movie studios and software companies to use anticopying
technology:
 The
bill, authored by Sen. Sam Brownback, would regulate digital rights
management systems, granting consumers the right to resell copy-protected
products and requiring digital media manufacturers to prominently disclose
to consumers the presence of anticopying technology in their
products.
The main thrust of the Brownback bill, however, is to
slap regulations on digital rights management (DRM) technology, which has
become increasingly popular tool in reducing the widespread copyright
infringement on the Internet. Last month, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer
stressed his company's support for DRM technology. Apple Computer also
uses DRM to limit how customers can reuse music that's downloaded from the
iTunes Music Store. Some consumer groups argue that DRM infringes on the
right to make "fair use" of copyrighted works and to back up legally
purchased digital files.
"The legislation seeks to create new tools to combat
unfettered Internet piracy of digital content while maintaining the
important ability of our nation's hardware manufacturers to innovate and
build products consumers need and want to use," Brownback said in a
statement. "The legislation recognizes that the same DRM technologies used
to combat piracy are also sought after by the content industry to create
new DRM-enabled business models. My legislation gives them a free hand in
seeking out DRM technologies that permit them to explore these new
opportunities, but ensures their success or failure will rest in the
marketplace, where it belongs--not in Congress."
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According to the
article, the bill, called the Consumers, Schools and Libraries Digital
Rights Management Awareness Act, will likely be introduced at a press conference
in the middle of next week.
Source: News.com
