House panel OKs digital licensing bill (could affect home use copying):

[cyberpj]

House panel OKs digital licensing bill
By Anne Broache
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

Published: June 8, 2006, 6:10 PM PDT

A U.S. House of Representatives panel on Thursday approved a digital copyright bill that critics say could imperil home-use copying of music and video recording devices like TiVo.

The Section 115 Reform Act, or SIRA, introduced by Texas Republican Lamar Smith, attempts to overhaul a piece of copyright law that established a complex system of "mechanical royalties" for record companies, recording artists, songwriters and publishers in exchange for the right to reproduce and distribute their music.

There's a general consensus among politicians, the U.S. Copyright Office and the music industry that the law, first written in the era of piano music rolls, is in need of updates for a digital era. Right now, companies wishing to sell music have to negotiate separate licenses for each song's recording.

SIRA proposes establishing a "blanket licensing" system in which those entities would apply for and receive licenses through a one-stop shop. Established by the Copyright Office, that body would act as a representative for music publishing companies with the greatest share of the market.

http://news.com.com/House+panel+OKs+digital+licensing+bill/2100-1028_3-6081874.html?tag=nefd.top

[acmejack]

1. Countless letters and phone calls elicited no response at all.

He is even my Congressman. Anything for the big Corporations, that's our Lamar. We will get rid of this asshole soon and put a real Progressive Democrat, John Courage in his place!

In the interim, this bad bill will truly screw the consumer mark my words.

[cyberpj]

2. Hopefully enough of us will catch on to what this means and

get more boots on the ground against it. Right now, it's only a panel that passed it on, let's see what happens with the bill comes up for a vote. That should get a little more attention. I hope, anyway. So many people don't even understand what it would mean.