Digital rights management (DRM) technology is rapidly becoming a concrete reality, built into the products that consumers buy and affecting the way people obtain and enjoy movies, music, books, television programs, and other digital content. It is natural that the creators and owners of content are seeking technical locks to protect that content from the piracy that digital networks have made easier than ever. At the same time, those digital locks on content will have a profound effect on how people view, watch, use, and share information - especially through the new and powerful forms of communication offered by computers and the Internet.
The "broadcast flag" - a method for protecting digital television broadcasts - has emerged as one of the first major debates over government mandates for DRM copy protections. As the result of a Federal Communication Commission decision issued in November 2003, starting in July 2005 it will be illegal to manufacture or sell devices that receive over-the-air digital television broadcasts unless those devices include certain copy protection technologies.
CDT Releases 2007 Legislative Agenda - CDT today urged lawmakers to adopt an approach to Internet-related policymaking that protects fundamental civil liberties, reestablishes meaningful privacy protections and paves the way for the United States' continued leadership in technological innovation. In its Congressional Agenda for the 110th Congress, CDT offers both a broad overview of the challenges associated with policymaking in the Internet space, as well as granular, issue-by-issue recommendations for lawmakers. CDT is distributing the recommendations to lawmakers and the press. January 22, 2007
Share this articleCDT Urges Caution on Broadcast Flag at Senate Hearing - CDT today warned lawmakers that imposing a "broadcast flag" regime to protect copyrighted video content would involve significant government regulation of technology design and would carry risks to both technology innovation and legal consumer uses of digital television. Testifying before the Senate Commerce Committee, CDT Executive Director Leslie Harris said that if Congress opts to impose a flag regime despite those concerns, such legislation would have to include carefully crafted safeguards and limitations, rather than giving the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) a blank check. January 24, 2006
Share this articlePublic Interest Groups Call for Hearings on 'Broadcast Flag' - CDT joined a coalition of public interest groups and library associations today in urging Congress to hold hearings before considering any legislation that would mandate a "broadcast flag" regime governing devices capable of receiving digital television signals. In a letter sent to the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House committees with jurisdiction over the matter, the groups listed several questions that require careful consideration. CDT fears that enacting a flag regime without fully addressing several key issues would pose serious threats to innovation and public discourse. October 06, 2005
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