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Lofgren Introduces BALANCE Act to Modify DMCA
Infonaut writes "Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D - CA) introduced H.R. 1066, The Balance Act. It seeks to clarify 'that America's historic principles of fair use - protected under Section 107 of the Copyright Act - apply to analog and digital transmissions.' Apparently Lessig is on board, as are several associations and other organizations. If you like what you see, encourage your representative to support the bill."
Attorney for Duff: "That party-hardy attitude is a registered copyright of the Duff Brewing Corportation."
Duffman: "What ever happened to fair use?"
it's about time someone realizes that just becase it's made of 1's and 0's it's still just a recording, and protected under fair use.
if they keep this up, I'll have to transfer all my mp3's and ogg's over to tape.
THE WORLD IS GOING TO END!!!! eventually.
na, just fancier scratches on the walls.
THE WORLD IS GOING TO END!!!! eventually.
I was going to send a message to my representative about this until I realized that Zoe Lofgren is my representative. Therefore, I win.
As a 4th-year pre-law undergrad, you have as much legal training as my cat. And the last time I took my cat's legal advice, I ended up pleading manslaughter to a parking ticket.
-Looking for a job as a materials chemist or multivariat
Maybe con-gress isn't the opposite of pro-gress all of the time after all...
As long as there is a Second Amendment, there will always be a First Amendment.
BALANCE is The Benefit Authors without Limiting Advancement or Net Consumer Expectations Act.
Obviously, we need legislation to keep our representatives from wasting too much time thinking up clever acronyms. I would like to propose a bill entitled Legislation Insulated from Acronyms by Representatives.
Oh, wait...
One man's -1 Flamebait is another man's +5 Funny.
..because, if this passes into law, my eleet DeCSS t-shirt will be uncool.
Please, leave me this last consolation in an otherwise gloomy existence
of being shunned by my peers. I beg you, vote against this monstrosity.
Oh yes, pirates harm Microsoft so much that they only have a 30% profit margin.
#include <disclaimer.h>
Lofgren introduced the Digital Choice & Freedom Act last term. What ever happened to it?
It had the words "choice" and "freedom" in its title. When Old White Men(tm) see that on their calendar, they think it's going to be some damn fool left-wing crusade that involves the choice to spend the government's money and the freedom to bankrupt the nation.
Sadly, this knee-jerk reaction is right about as often as it is wrong.
This time she's got the right idea, though. She's taken the Republican-friendly non-threatening acronym route and named her bill the Benefit Authors without Limiting Advancement or Net Consumer Expectations (BALANCE) Act of 2003. She'll fit right in with the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001, the Prosecuting Remedies and Tools Against the Exploitation of Children Today (PROTECT) Act of 2003, and the Help Advance Republicanism through Martial Law Everywhere and the Suspension of Self-determination (HARMLESS) Act of 2005.
I write in my journal
is there a topic that the Simpson's hasn't covered yet? Possibly abortion since I can't recal that ever comming up in an episode
Kang: "Hmm.. Abortions for some, miniature American flags for others."
Crowd: (Cheers)
I find it mildly disturbing that American copyright law ultimately decides the law for the rest of the world
Hey now, you don't want us to give up on copyright inspectors do you? If he doesn't disarm his weapons of mass P2P, then we will disarm him.
Those who would give up liberty in exchange for security and DRM should switch to Microsoft Palladium!
What should they do? Make software cheaper, and make software better. Same goes for audio CDs.
I want more for less. And the fact that I can't have it is somehow indicative of a fatal flaw in our economic or political system. Waa.
I write in my journal
I would like to apologize to you on behalf of all of us who have occassion to belong to the moderator class of /. user.
Clearly one of us has been ignoring his doctor's advice to stop sniffing glue.
Had your post been moderated down as "Overrated" or perhaps even "troll," I wouldn't have agreed, but I would have let it slide without comment, even in metamoderation.
Not being one to care overmuch about protecting my karma, however, I feel it behooves me to make this gesture in your behalf and beg your indulgence in not holding the single act against an entire class.
Now *this* post, in the limited sense, is offtopic. Of course that's only if you take the limited view and don't see the validity of comments on the topic as being on topic. Personally I believe a certain amount of metatopical discussion only adds to the depth and intelligence of the overall base, but clearly there are those who differ.
Or sniff glue.
Yours,
KFG
Eventually we'll just all have to leave the country and practice freedom from afar.
Tell you what. You go on ahead and find a good place to set up, and drop the rest of us a line when you get things started. We'll be right behind you.
I write in my journal
"encourage your representative to support the bill."
I don't have that much money.
"She'd get my vote...
we'll, if I had one over there..."
Since when has that been a problem with Democrats? Heck, tell 'em you're an illegal alien and they might let you vote twice.
(Woah, easy people. It was a joke...)
As an expert in feline law, I'll say you were right to take your cat's advice. Keep up the good work.
Donate background CPU time to fight cancer.
Since when has that been a problem with Democrats? Heck, tell 'em you're an illegal alien and they might let you vote twice.
And really, what would it matter? It's not like the Republicans would allow votes for a Democrat to be counted anyway -- just ask Jeb Bush.