PIML 96051501 / Forwarded to Patriot Information Mailing List: Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 12:25:54 -0400 From: freematt@coil.com (Matthew Gaylor) Subject: ACTION ITEM: massive copyright "protection" From: jwarren@well.com (Jim Warren) Subject: (fwd) ACTION ITEM: massive copyright "protection" Check out the examples, below, of how your net access to *any* information will soon be repressed, prohibited and/or criminalized for corporate benefit. THIS REALLY IS AS BAD AS IT SOUNDS. Although this happens to come from the Americal Library Association and is thus focused on library concerns with the Beltway ripoff-artists' pervasive copy-suppression legislation that is being rammed through Congress, *everyone* online and on computers needs to be aware of this impending repression. I donno who Clinton's Copyright Office and Gingrich-Dole's Congress are representing, but they sure as hell aren't representing the *public's* interests. Howl now to your(?) "representatives" ... or bend over for the corporate hustlers, henceforth. --jim, a disloyal subject of the Washington Royalty Jim Warren, GovAccess list-owner/editor, advocate & columnist (jwarren@well.com) 345 Swett Rd., Woodside CA 94062; voice/415-851-7075; fax/<# upon request> [puffery: John Dvorak Lifetime Achievement Award (1995); James Madison Freedom-of-Information Award, Soc. of Prof. Journalists - Nor.Cal. (1994); Hugh M. Hefner First-Amendment Award, Playboy Foundation (1994); Pioneer Award, Electronic Frontier Foundation (its first year, 1992); founded the Computers, Freedom & Privacy confs, InfoWorld; blah blah blah :-).] >Date: Fri, 10 May 1996 17:58:00 -0400 >Sender: owner-ala-wo@ala1.ala.org >From: ALAWASH E-MAIL (ALAWASH E-MAIL) >To: ala-wo@ala.org >Subject: ALAWON, Vol. 5, No. 24 - ACTION ITEM (220 lines) > > >ALAWON Volume 5, Number 24 >ISSN 1069-7799 May 10, 1996 > American Library Association Washington Office Newsline > > > URGENT: IMMINENT CONGRESSIONAL ACTION ON NII COPYRIGHT >LEGISLATION THREATENS TO LEAVE LIBRARIES AND SCHOOLS IN THE LURCH > >IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED: Your immediate faxes and calls to key >House Committee Members critical. > >BACKGROUND: >The House is rushing the "NII Copyright Protection Act" bill to >"mark up" in the House Courts and Intellectual Property >Subcommittee on Wednesday of next week, May 15! The House >completed its hearings in February on this bill. (Earlier >ALAWON's have described in detail the "NII Copyright Protection >Act" taken from the Administration's "White Paper" and introduced >in Congress last September.) > >Worse yet, the Courts and Intellectual Property Subcommittee is >also considering wrapping the Copyright Term Extension Act (which >would lengthen the term of copyright protection by 20 years) into >the "NII Copyright" package on May 15. That action could short-circuit >negotiations between ALA and copyright owners that began >last October to craft an exemption from the term extension for >libraries, archives and non-profit educational institutions. If >approved in its current form, the bill would: > >*** make it a copyright violation to simply browse the Net >without a license from copyright owners; > >*** subject computer system operators -- such as on-line services >and networks at schools and libraries -- to potentially crippling >liability for the copyright violations of their users, even if >the operator; > >*** cripple "distance education" efforts especially vital to >rural communities and the disabled; and > >*** make it illegal to manufacture, import or distribute devices >and software (including computers and VCRs) needed by industry, >schools and libraries to make "fair use" of encrypted information >by overruling long-standing Supreme Court precedent. > >The Senate is moving deliberately on this tremendously imbalanced >package and has indicated that changes in it need to be made to >protect libraries and schools. The Senate Judiciary Committee, >which just held the first of its own (non-joint) hearings on this >bill on May 7, and is taking a far more deliberate approach to >these complicated issues. > >In fact, Chairman Hatch appeared open at the hearing to many of >the proposals backed by libraries and educational groups put >forward by Prof. Robert Oakley (of AALL) on behalf of the Digital >Future Coalition, in which ALA has been very active. (The DFC >was given one of only five total witness slots at this important >hearing held coincidentally on ALA's annual Legislative Day.) >Sen. Hatch also indicated that he would hold at least one >additional hearing which is likely to include a "library" >witness. > >ACTION NEEDED NOW: >Please immediately fax a letter to AND CALL all Members of the >House Intellectual Property Subcommittee listed below who >represent you or an institution with which you are affiliated. >These contacts must be made NO LATER THAN Tuesday, May 14 and >preferably sooner. Contact info and a sample letter follow. > >For more information about the bill, the dangers it poses and the >constructive solutions offered, please see the DIGITAL FUTURE >COALITION WEBSITE at http://www.ari.net/dfc > >*************************************************************** >Using appropriate style for addressing Congress, please address >all letters to Members, as listed below e.g., "2346 RHOB" for >"Rayburn House Office Building", LHOB=Longworth and CHOB=Cannon) >+ Washington, DC 20515. > >Info appears as: > >Member and Home City >Address Phone Fax > >Carlos Moorhead Glendale, CA >2346 RHOB 225-4176 226-1279 > >F. James Sensenbrenner Brookfield, WI >2332 RHOB 225-5101 225-3190 > >George Gekas Harrisburg, PA >2410 RHOB 225-4315 225-8440 > >Howard Coble Asheboro, NC >403 CHOB 225-3065 225-8611 >Elton Gallegly Oxnard, CA >2441 RHOB 225-5811 225-1100 > >Charles Canady Lakeland, FL >1222 LHOB 225-1252 225-2279 > >Bob Goodlatte Roanoke, NC >123 CHOB 225-5431 225-9681 > >Martin Hoke Fairview Park, OH >212 CHOB 225-5871 226-0994 > >Sonny Bono Palm Springs, CA >512 CHOB 225-5330 225-2961 > >John Conyers, Jr. Detroit, MI >2426 RHOB 225-5126 225-0072 > >Patricia Schroeder Denver, CO >2307 RHOB 225-4431 225-5842 > >Howard Berman Mission Hills, CA >2231 RHOB 225-4695 225-5279 > >Rick Boucher Abingdon, VA >2245 RHOB 225-3861 225-0442 > >Jerry Nadler New York, NY >109 CHOB 225-5635 225-6923 > >Xavier Becerra Los Angeles, CA >1119 LHOB 225-6235 225-2202 > >Xavier Becerra Los Angeles, CA >1119 LHOB 225-6235 225-2202 > > SAMPLE LETTER > **************************************************************** > > [DATE] > >[Hon. ____________________ >United States House of Representatives] >__# __ ____ Office Building >Washington, D.C. 20515 > >Dear Representative__________: > > As a member of the American Library Association and an >active {your connection to libraries and their work, e.g., >librarian, trustee, volunteer, etc.}, I am writing today to ask >that you do everything in your power to assure that two bills now >pending before the House Courts and Intellectual Property Subcom- >mittee are not voted out of Committee unless and until they are >amended to help libraries serve the public in the following ways. > > First, the "NII Copyright Protection Act of 1995" (H.R. >2441) must be changed to permit libraries to use the latest >technologies to preserve crumbling older works and to have >sufficient copies of those works on hand to guarantee their >survival. Provisions that will continue to foster "distance >education" also are critically important. More broadly, balance >must be restored to the legislation by adopting a series of >amendments proposed by the Digital Future Coalition (DFC), many >of which are based on a strong commitment to the Fair Use >Doctrine. I share that commitment. If Congress is to update >copyright law for the digital age, the rights of copyright owners >and the needs of information users must both be fully respected >and advanced. I support the DFC's package of amendments to the >Copyright Act, particularly those related to Sections 106, 107 >and 108. > > Second, and just as critically, the "Copyright Term >Extension Act"(H.R. 989) must also be rebalanced to protect and >foster library preservation efforts and education at all levels. >In its current form, this bill would extend the length of >copyright in published materials by 20 years. It would also >lengthen the term of copyright for unpublished works by 10 years. >In other words, the bill will impose a 10 or 20 year moratorium >on works entering the public domain. The costs of tracking down >the owners of these works (often 100 or more years old) imposes >costs on libraries better spent on serving the public. ALA's >representatives in Washington have been negotiating a suitable >amendment to this bill with major copyright industries since >December of last year. The Register of Copyrights is mediating >those talks. Please do everything that you can to allow that >process, which I am told is going well, to bear fruit. Premature >action on this bill would be disastrous for libraries and >schools. > > Thank you very much for helping libraries make the most of >new technology and the Internet to bring the benefits of >information technology to all Americans, and especially those in >[INSERT THE NAME OF YOUR STATE, CITY OR COUNTY REPRESENTED BY THE >MEMBER TO WHOM YOU'RE WRITING]. ALA's Washington Office staff >would be pleased to provide you or your office with more >information. They can be reached at 202-628-8410. > > Sincerely, > >_________________________________________________________________ >ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library >Association Washington Office. To subscribe, send the message >"subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname]" to @ala.org>. ALAWON archives gopher.ala.org; select Washington >Office Newsline. Web page HTTP://www.ala.org/alawashington.html. > >ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V) >1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F) >Washington, DC 20004-1701 Lynne E. Bradley, Editor > >Contributor to this issue: Adam M. Eisgrau > > >All materials subject to copyright by the American Library >Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial >purposes with appropriate credits. **************************************************************************** Subscribe to Freematt's Alerts: Pro-Individual Rights Issues Send a blank message to: freematt@coil.com with the words subscribe FA on the subject line. List is private and moderated (7-30 messages per week) Matthew Gaylor,1933 E. 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