A Flag Not to Fly
Posted on Tuesday, June 21st, 2005 at 14:29.
If you are a resident of Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, or Wisconsin, America needs YOU!
From the EFF:
The Broadcast Flag was Hollywood’s plan to point its remote control at your digital TV. It was a set of bits in the DTV standard that let broadcasters meddle with what could be done with publicly available broadcast video – even if those restrictions stomped on your fair use rights.
The courts struck down the original FCC proposal. Now, the lobbyists have turned to Congress. Rumor has it that a senator will introduce an amendment on Tuesday in the Senate Commerce, Justice, and Science sub-committee to reintroduce the flag. On Thursday, it goes to a full committee vote.
Call and e-mail your senator today.
I thought this whole issue was dead for the time being. I had read an interview with Texas Republican Committee Chair Joe Barton who said something to the effect that he was not going to let it be reintroduced.
I guess Hollywood is not going to give up until it gets it’s way.
Attack of the Zombies: Hollywood Initiative Won’t Die
The Broadcast Flag lives … again! This entertainment industry initiative that would force electronics and computer manufacturers to implement content restrictions and prevent consumers from their fair use right to enjoy TV broadcasts where and when …
J,
What about good ole L’Burg, VA? I’d hate to think that in another year or 2, I’d turn on the ole tube and find that I could no longer watch TV because of some ridiculously stupid, and expensive Digital TV converter box that I would need. :(
All television must be digitally broadcast in two years. You will need a converter, but they shouldn’t be expensive. The move to digital broadcasts is a good move. Picture quality is significantly better and the change is driving many stations to upgrade to high definition simultaneously.
A broadcast “flag” would significantly reduce viewer’s ability to manipulate media. TiVo, computer capture devices, and any future device or technology that would allow viewers to handle broadcast media any way other than displaying it as it is live broadcast would be outlawed.