Background: FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said earlier today that the Commission will not approve during his tenure a petition by the motion picture industry to engage in “selectable output control,” also known as SOC. The MPAA and the movie studios it represents (Paramount, Sony, Fox, Universal, Disney, and Warner Brothers) asked the FCC for the ability to “turn off” any output plug they choose, like those on the back of consumer electronics devices of an entertainment system, during special video-on-demand movies on cable television.
The following statement is attributed to Gigi B. Sohn, president and co-founder of Public Knowledge:
“Consumers won a big victory today with Chairman Martin's statement that he would not approve Hollywood's selective output control petition. That petition was yet another attempt by Hollywood to inflict its technological control on consumers, similar to the ill-fated 'broadcast flag.' Consumers, not movie companies, should control their own set-top boxes and not be subject to the whims of Hollywood business plans.
“We hope the next chairman of the Commission will similarly see the wisdom in either denying the petition or allowing it to fade away.”
More information on this issue is available at:
http://www.publicknowledge.org/issues/soc
Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.