Policy Blog
We're Asking Congress to Fix the DMCA
Follow @sherwinpkToday, we sent a letter to the leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, asking them to pass a strong, permanent fix to the cell phone unlocking problem, and to take a deeper look at the problems caused by the anticircumvention provisions of the DMCA. The letter, available here, is signed by over thirty consumer groups, companies, and online communities, and joined by a number of academics and activists.
We want to make sure that all of the people who were upset that the DMCA could prevent them from unlocking their phones get a solution that actually fixes the problem by changing the law, not just reversing the Library of Congress's decision and waiting for a do-over a few years from now.
Five Fundamentals for the Phone Network, Part 5: Public Safety
Follow @jgriffinpkThis is the final post in our series explaining Public Knowledge’s five fundamental principles for the transition of our phone network to IP-based technology. We’ve already discussed service to all Americans, interconnection and competition, consumer protection, and network reliability. Today we’ll dive into the last (but not least) of the five principles: public safety.
Retransmission Consent: Yep, Still Broken
Follow @bergmayerOur country's absolutely ridiculous "retransmission consent" system continues to distort the video marketplace. This is the set of arcane rules that give local broadcasters (and not copyright holders) the right to decide whether cable systems (and IPTV and satellite providers) can carry their programming. A system that should be about connecting creators to viewers instead empowers middlemen who collect money from both sides. It's not that distributors and other kinds of middlemen have no place--far from it. But they should add value, and be compensated accordingly.
Why is Congress Expanding Enforcement of the DMCA?
Follow @sherwinpkIt's no longer a debate: people recognize that the anticircumvention provisions of the DMCA are flawed. Insofar as they keep people from doing things like unlocking their cell phones, over 100,000 people and the White House have said so, members of Congress have said so, and the FCC has said so. There's also widespread recognition that the DMCA as a whole needs reevaluation, which the Register of Copyrights recognizes.
So why are we seeing simultaneous efforts to double down on enforcing a defective law?
Yesterday, Senators Baucus and Hatch introduced a hefty bill on trade issues.
Turning 3D Printed Copyright Infringers into Partners
Follow @mweinbergpk3D printing means more people are becoming professional designers, creating and selling even more things. Although most of these designers are creating wholly original objects, it should not be a surprise that some are building off of existing TV shows, movies, and books. The result: the world of merchandising is about to confront a long tail that can't be monitored or controlled. How should rightsholders respond? By embracing it.
As Genachowski Exits, Looking Forward Not Back.
Follow @haroldfeldIt is extremely easy to let the disappointment and bitterness over the high hopes I (and others) had back when Genachowski started in 2009 color his sins (whether of commission or omission) blacker than they should be. By the same token, it is easy to allow the lowered expectations we all had after 2010 to make his accomplishments seem better than they where. But far more important than any attempt to summarize Genachowski’s putative legacy in a few paragraphs is determining who will succeed him. Anyone interested in reflecting on the last 4 years can see Public Knowledge’s official statement here. But for us here at PK, it’s time to look forward.
preservesthe openness of the Internet and the public's access to knowledge, promotes creativity through balanced copyright, and upholds and protects the rights of consumers to use innovative technology lawfully.
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