H.R. 107 Hearing Scheduled: Co-sponsors needed now!

Anonymous Patron writes “The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection has scheduled a hearing on H.R. 107, the Digital Media Consumers’ Rights Act (DMCRA), for next Wednesday, May 12. The DMCRA is widely viewed as the first significant digital rights bill and a credible attempt to modulate some of the excesses in the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Anonymous Patron writes “The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection has scheduled a hearing on H.R. 107, the Digital Media Consumers’ Rights Act (DMCRA), for next Wednesday, May 12. The DMCRA is widely viewed as the first significant digital rights bill and a credible attempt to modulate some of the excesses in the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
The bill currently has 14 co-sponsors but needs more in order to move forward. (The only co-sponsors of the bill who are members of the Energy and Commerce Committee are Reps. Boucher and Barton.) It is especially important to have the co-sponsorship of other members of the Committee, listed below. If your Representative is on that committee, strongly urge him or her to become an H.R. 107 co-sponsor. Of course, any representative would be a welcome addition to the co-sponsorship list.

H.R. 107 would:
– Amend controversial Section 1201 of the DMCA to allow breaking a technological lock that controls access to and use of a copyrighted work if the circumvention does not result in infringement of the work

For example, H.R. 107 would make it possible for libraries to go around copy protection mechanisms in compact disks (CDs) when it is necessary to make a copy for preservation or archiving.

-Decriminalize circumvention tools when they have substantial non-infringing uses

For example, faculty sometimes purchase digital works from other countries, particularly if the subject matter they teach relates to a foreign language. Such works may not be playable on electronic devices purchased in this country, yet it would be against the law for a company to provide the means for a library media center to gain access by circumventing the technological lock.

-Allow scientists to research the strength and reliability of technological locks without subjecting themselves to civil and criminal penalties

For example, a university professor could conduct research into the security flaws of a software program without fear of prosecution. The DMCA criminalized this activity and has had a well-documented chilling effect on research

-Require proper labeling of “copy protected” CDs so that consumers know what device a CD can be played on.

For example, CD packaging currently is not required to inform customers that copy protection mechanisms embedded in the product will limit their ability to play the CD on certain equipment.”