Hollywood’s demands could cripple consumer technology, panelists say
Howard Rheingold knows what he’s talking about. He gets written off as a bit of a nutbar and a complete hippy, but he’s intellectually rigorous and checks his facts thoroughly. He’s quoted in this piece, and his new book gets a well-deserved plug.
The main issue here though is that the people with the most power are the ones dictating where the power should lie when the lines are re-drawn…
…and freedom of speech benefits the articulate.
Congress would be “putting the dinosaurs in charge of evolution” if Hollywood succeeds in obtaining a federal law that would restrict consumer use of digital video and music, a civil liberties attorney told an Associated Press conference. Legislation introduced by Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., would require consumer electronics makers to equip devices with a built-in “copyright chip” that would enforce a government-approved encryption scheme.
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