A critical debate is underway in the courts, the Congress and federal regulatory agencies -- and decisions are being made within the content, electronics, and computer industries - about how to protect copyrighted material in new digital media. CDT seeks to offer a reasonable voice reflecting the interests of consumers and users, who deserve a role in these decisions so critically shaping their future access to music, videos, books and other content.
CDT is committed to the principle that copyrighted material should be protected from largescale unauthorized copying. Denying compensation to creators and distributors undermines First Amendment values in promoting expression, threatens the growth of new media and e-commerce, and does not support the consumer interest in a robust marketplace of content offerings. At the same time, resolving these issues should not come at the expense of reasonable consumer expectations regarding the use of copyrighted works or digital technologies, consistent with traditional copyright principles. Nor should it come at the expense of new and innovative communications networks, like the Internet, that hold out tremendous promise to promote expression, economic growth, and civic discourse.
CDT, EFF and PK File Brief in Ringtones Case - CDT, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Public Knowledge filed a "friend of the court" brief on Wednesday opposing efforts by the music licensing organization ASCAP to impose additional licensing payments on providers of musical ringtones for mobile phones. The brief urges the court to reject ASCAP's argument that ringtones are "public performances" under copyright law simply because a phone may ring when the user happens to be in a public place. ASCAP's position implies that numerous ordinary mobile phone users are copyright infringers and would expand copyright liability in ways that would chill innovation in products far beyond the relatively narrow context of ringtones. July 02, 2009
Share this articleSupreme Court Declines to Hear Appeal of "Remote DVR" Case - The Supreme Court today declined to reconsider a 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision holding that Cablevision's "remote storage digital video recorder" would not infringe copyright. CDT and a number of others had argued to the 2nd Circuit that a finding of copyright infringement had the potential to chill innovation in a wide range of emerging products that use the Internet to provide storage and computing functions from remote locations. The Supreme Court's action effectively ends the significant threat posed by a lower court's 2007 ruling of infringement. June 29, 2009
Share this articleCDT Tells FCC To Include Openness, Privacy in Broadband Plan - In comments submitted to the FCC on Monday, CDT stressed that a national broadband plan should include a commitment to maintain and indeed strengthen the legal and policy framework that has enabled the Internet to become such a dynamic and innovative medium. CDT also recommended that the plan feature further measures to safeguard the Internet's open character, promote online privacy, harness broadband to achieve greater transparency in government, and more. June 09, 2009
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