Fritz's Hit List

wwwssabbsdotcom was one of several to submit news stories about Ed Felten's latest venture: Fritz's Hit List, a list of electronic devices with some sort of digital storage and processing capabilities sufficient to qualify them "digital media devices" under Sen. Hollings' CBDTPA bill.

Comments

Re:Sen Hollings Words

[Amazing Quantum Man]

Fritz Said it would be like this:

At the same time, millions of law abiding consumers find little reason to spend discretionary dollars on consumer electronics products whose value depends on their ability to receive, display and copy high quality digital content like popular movies, music, and video games.

From my comments to the Judiciary Committee:

I have never heard anyone say, "I'd get broadband if only there were high quality content from Hollywood available." No, what I hear is, "I'd get DSL or a cable modem if it was available in my area," or "I'd get DSL or a cable modem if it didn't cost a fortune."

Contribution List for Fritz Hollings

[DaytonCIM]

Reported contributions list
Top 3 Industries (PACs and Individuals):
1 Lawyers/Law Firms $1,463,550
2 Communications & Electronics $698,958
PAC Contributors:
Walt Disney Co $6,000
AOL Time Warner $5,083
National Assn of Broadcasters $5,000
Comcast Corp $2,500
Motion Picture Assn of America $3,000
ASCAP $1,000
Cablevision Systems $1,000
Charter Communications $1,000
Sony Pictures Entertainment $1,000
Universal Studios $1,000
Viacom Inc $2,000
3 Financial & Investment $404,349

Additional PAC contributions here.

Personal Finances are here.

Others who sit on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.

If you think he's bad, check out Boxer.

Re:Look again

[Anonymous Coward]

But can it record? The telephone can't be "banned" unless it can record/playback something.

The Offending Parts of the bill, re: Fritz

[Vancouverite]

The actual part of the bill that is being attacked here is down in the definitions:

(3) DIGITAL MEDIA DEVICE. -- The term "digital media device" means any hardware or software that --

(A) reproduces copyrighted works in digital form;

(B) converts copyrighted works in digital form into a form whereby the images and sounds are visible or audible; or

(C) retrieves or accesses copyrighted works in digital form and transfers or makes available for transfer such works to hardware or software described in subparagraph (B).

As I highlighted, B is the offending line. Consider - those buttons that are sewn into stuffed animals that play music when pressed? Those match the definition in (B).

But this is not the only technical offender. A digital camera can easily be in violation (see part (A) of the definition, then take a picture of a billboard). More significantly, the Internet itself is probably a definition (C) product - certainly, a modem, LAN card, or disk drive is (load a document, or display a web site).

Unfortunately, this definition is, at heart, flawed - way too broad, and way too inclusive.

Campaign for Freedom

[ces]

The advertisements are part of a series called "Campaign for Freedom", they are funded by the The Advertising Council.

The ads are a continuation of the Ad Council's September 11th PSAs.

From the Ad Council's September 11th page:
On September 11th, America was shattered by acts of terrorism. Our nation, our citizens, and the belief system upon which our country was founded were shaken.

The Ad Council returned to its wartime footing, developing messages that would help Americans remain strong throughout the war on terrorism, just as it had during World War II. Public service messages to help the country respond and recover from the attacks were also developed. The first PSA began running just 10 days after the attacks.

Early PSAs like "I am an American" celebrated the country's extraordinary diversity and reminded people of the values that make America so unique. Other early PSAs included Laura Bush encouraging parents to talk to their kids, and others emphasizing tolerance and the importance of going on with our lives by "Living Brave."

A short time later, the Ad Council announced its "Campaign for Freedom," an initiative developed on behalf of the entire advertising industry. This important campaign was designed to inform, involve, and inspire Americans to participate in activities that will strengthen our nation and help support the war on terrorism.

From the Ad Council's "Campaign for Freedom" page:
Developed following the tragedies of September 11th, the Ad Council's Campaign for Freedom is an unprecedented volunteer effort from the advertising industry. The initiative is designed to assist Americans during the war on terrorism through the development of timely and relevant PSAs. This first round of PSAs has been created to celebrate our nation's freedom and remind Americans about the importance of freedom and the need to protect it for future generations. According to research, Americans are looking for messages that will inform, involve and inspire them during the war on terrorism. This inspirational campaign is advertising's gift to America. All of the ads conclude with the powerful tagline, "Freedom. Appreciate it. Cherish it. Protect it."