IDG: Coalition Pushes for Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act

According to a June 22, 2004 article from the IDG News Service, the Personal Technology Freedom Coalition is pushing to get the Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act through Congress. The legislation, sponsored by Representative Rick Boucher, a Virginia Democrat, would allow consumers to break copy controls to do such things as make personal copies of compact discs or movies. Supporters of the bill say it's necessary to protect consumers' so-called fair-use rights to make personal copies, which the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) curtails.

"We don't think it's illegal to buy CDs and videos and make a small number of copies for personal use," said Representative Joe Barton, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "Under the DMCA ... it's become virtually impossible to do that. We're not trying to make it open season for piracy or anything like that."

House Judiciary Committee leaders appear to view the issue as "bold jurisdictional power grab."