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It looks like the electronics industry will give it a shot and start a lobby. After some further reading it looks like they are not going all out against the flag though. Sad...

It looks like the electronics industry will give it a shot and start a lobby. After some further reading it looks like they are not going all out against the flag though. Sad...

Among their clients, Dittus Commuications counts BSA (Business Software Alliance), Intel and Microsoft.

These simple facts are revealed by Dittus' press release, about yesterday's event and the actual press release from the event.

So, how does Dittus work? Go to dittus.com to find out. Clicking on "services", then "coalitions & grassroots" gives you this:

Dittus tailors each coalition and grassroots program to help our clients run a successful campaign. We will recruit and mobilize the right people to help you influence key decision makers and retain their support. Through experience, effective monitoring, innovation and the ability to deliver the right message at the appropriate decision points, Dittus will help you win.

Coalition Building
Support voiced from the right allies can vastly amplify your message and add credibility to your argument. Marshalling diverse players can be a delicate art, and Dittus Communications has a flair for it. On a range of hotly debated issues, we have successfully managed varied alliances across the political spectrum.

Grassroots Organizing
The quickest way to policymakers' hearts is through their backyards. Time and again, Dittus Communications has demonstrated an uncanny gift for grassroots campaign management. We're known for finding innovative ways to mobilize widespread support and sway important votes.

Now, click on "clients" on the main menu to the left, then "case studies". Read through a couple of the studies, for example "Americans for Computer Privacy" (text mirrored below). Interestingly, you'll find that Dittus was behind the strategy and campaign that in the end lifted U.S. export limitations on strong encryption. Now of course, the current DRM campaign they are running on behalf of their clients, is pretty much the opposite of the goals of "Americans for Computer Privacy". This campaign is no more than a call for unregulated, oligopoly-controlled implementation of TCPA / Palladium, but of course they never mention TCPA/Palladium. I am not surprised to find all of the TCPA founding members in this so called "Alliance for Digital Progress".

This is a fight were it is in the public interest that both parties fail.

Here's Dittus' own case study on how they helped relax U.S. encryption regulations:

"In one six-month period, Dittus Communications generated more than 130 million media impressions."

CHALLENGE
Encryption systems, which scramble electronic communications and information, allow users to communicate on the internet with confidence in the knowledge that their security and privacy are protected. In 1998, however, American manufacturers were facing heavy export restrictions by the U.S. government on U.S.-made encryption products, thus restricting American manufacturers from meeting global demand. Momentum was also building in Washington for policies that would allow the FBI to unlock encrypted information.

STRATEGY
An existing client asked Dittus Communications to draft a strategic plan that would rally the support of other industries and manufacturers similarly affected by U.S. encryption policies. The Dittus plan called for the creation of a "strange bedfellows" coalition that would energize organizations outside of the technology community to support encryption policy and oppose the FBI's mandatory key recovery proposal. Dittus also recognized that the issues surrounding the encryption debate would have to be reframed in order to broaden support among the memeber organizations and in Congress. After conducting significant focus group research, Dittus reframed the debate to focus on privacy and security. And thus Americans for Computer Privacy was born.

Dittus then actively recruited groups such as the Louisiana Sheriff's Association, Americans for Tax Reform, and the Eagle Forum to join the coalition. Dittus helped build and manage the coalition that grew to 40 trade associations and more than 100 companies representing financial services, manufacturing, high- tech, and trasportation industries as well as law enforcement, civil-liberty, taxpayer, and privacy groups.

Understanding that Members of Congress needed to hear from their constituents regarding this issue, Dittus mounted an extensive public affairs campaign nationally and in targeted congressional districts that delivered favorable editorials; placed ads, op- eds and letters to the editor; and generated grassroots, third- party, and coalition support. Our objective was to convince lawmakers to reform current policy and to stop the passage of anti-privacy legislation.

We organized Hill drops, visiting every congressional office with ACP information packets; established relationships with key staff and press secretaries; organized demonstrations and briefings; and developed press/lobby kits and papers. Building widespread, vocal grassroots support among targeted congressional constituencies was critical. We targeted the campaign to the markets of lawmakers who were either undecided about the issue or against it.

RESULTS
In one six-month period, Dittus Communications genereated more than 130 million media impressions on the coalition's position. We earned favorable coverage in the Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, San Fransisco Chronicle, USA Today, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Business Daily, Newsweek, Roll Call, PC Magazine, Internet Week, Time, U.S. News & World Report, and Wired. We also booked ACP spokespeople on Bloomberg TV, MSNBC, the Fox News Channel, and all three major TV networks, as well as radio talk shows nationwide.

Our campaign created a groundswell of public and congressional support for the SAFE Act and killed the third- party key recovery plan. It also brought the Administration, which had shown little movement in support of ACP's position on the issue, to the negotiating table. The Administration also eased its encryption export policy, allowing American companies to export strong encryption overseas.

Great news!

No, this group merely wants to fsck us over without congresses involment.

If you look at this page you'll see their agenda is:

DTCP (Digital Transmission Content Protection), which protects digital content within the home network environment and prevents unauthorized retransmissions to the Internet;

This means all home audio and video and computer equipment will LOCK all your media and files. This means if you record something you CANNOT view it when and where you want - an entirely legal and legitimate activity.

CPRM (Content Protection for Recordable Media), which prevents unauthorized recording of audio and video;

Which means VCR's and boomboxes whith BROKEN record buttons. It is perfectly legal and legitimate to record stuff.

HDCP (High-definition Digital Content Protection), which protects video transmissions sent to high-definition digital monitors.

Which meand they want to make the next generation High Definition TV's more expensive and severely cripple them.

government must enforce laws against piracy.

That statement is a bit vague, but I'm willing to wager they are not talking about copyright laws, they are talking about DMCA anti-circumvention law. There are many perfectly legal and legitimate purposes for circumvention.

companies have invested hundreds of millions of dollars and tens of thousands of engineering hours creating tools that successfully prevent illegal copying of digital content

Yeah, they spend hundreds of millions on DRM that cripples products and HASN'T WORKED. The idiots could have just PUT THAT MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS AS PURE PROFIT.

Industry is increasing that investment

The wildly inflated and almost purely fictional losses to piracy are what, 2 or 3 billion? They've spent hundreds of millions, and plan to increase that. They are going to spend more fighting the problem then any real losses, if they haven't already. They are going to whine about losing money and they are going to stick us with the bill for their spending. And more expensive hardware.

From another page:

In December, 2002, the nation?s largest cable operators agreed with consumer electronics industry representatives on a proposal that would protect digital television programming

Crippled TV. Lovely[sarcasm].

These companies are pushing for TCPA and Palladium.

The MPAA and RIAA have the tech companies scared shitless of the TOTALLY INSANE CBDTPA that they are "compromising half way" *cough cough*.

When someone wants to chop your legs off you don't "compromise half way" and cut one leg off and hand it to him. This "alliance" is cutting one leg off of ALL of us.

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The funny thing is that they don't even have to fight the government; this is just the result of the deal the BSA made with the RIAA. I guess the ADP was set up to keep the RIAA honest about its side of the deal.

I also can't wait to see the outcome of this fight.

Frankly, I agree with the "Alliance for Digital Progress," as they're calling themselves. They just don't want to slow down progress by putting digital copy prevention in every product (according to their site.

Yes. pirating happens, but the movie industry is still very strong (and if you don't think "Kangaroo Jack" netting $21.8 million dollars in a weekend is strong, then you need to have your head examined :). Digital piracy - from what I've personally seen living at a RPI - is not such a big problem. There are movies floating around the campus-wide network, but most of the movies I've seen since I came here in the fall of 2000 have been off of a DVD, on TV, on the campus movie channel, or off a videocassette.

Go for it, 'Alliance for Digital Progress'!

Looking at what they stand for it looks as if these companies are just wanting to implement their own DRM solution (or more likely, solutionS), not have a standard imposed from above by the law or Hollywood.