Some Good News - Support for Anti-DMCA Increasing (Ernest Miller)
WIRED reports that there are some significant signs of support for an anti-DMCA bill introduced in the House (DMCA Foes Find Allies in House).
A bill in the House of Representatives, HR107, would overturn a major provision of the controversial Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (PDF), which bars consumers from circumventing encryption on digital media products, even if they only intend to make copies for personal use.The bill's sponsor, Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Virginia), already has 19 co-sponsors, including powerful House Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-Texas). It's unlikely the bill will become law this year, but its proponents see the backing as a good sign.
Of course, the MPAA is still claiming that there is no need for changes to the DMCA as it has no effect on fair use:
"That's just not true," said David Green, vice president and counsel for technology and new media at the Motion Picture Association of America. "The DMCA retains fair use. It doesn't change fair use in any way."
You could ban the printing press and the MPAA would claim there was no effect on free speech. [Copyfight]