[olug] Off Topic: URGENT - Call Senators today to stop INDUCE.

Tue Sep 28 15:46:26 UTC 2004

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

For anyone interested in seeing the "INDUCE" act (S. 2560) stopped, please
read the note below *AND* CALL A SENATOR!

I'll let you read up on the possible effects of this legislative bill for
your self -- just know that the main effect will be to overturn the
"Betamax Ruling" which allows private individuals to make copies of
purchased and over-the-air performances for personal use.  The INDUCE act
would place barriers on technology to have the hardware/software enforce
the ad-hoc regulations of the MPAA and RIAA and not give us the chance to
use the media as we would like to.

I'm sorry if this e-mail offends anyone -- with the recent debate on
"closed" hardware, I thought this was appropriate.

Dan

- ---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: URGENT - Call Senators today to stop INDUCE.
From:    "Downhill Battle - Action Lists" <action at downhillbattle.org>
Date:    Tue, September 28, 2004 10:30
To:      dan at linder.org
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi everyone,

This is an emergency alert for everyone who took part in the Save Betamax
call-in day:  Today, Orrin Hatch will be trying to line up enough votes to
get the INDUCE Act (S. 2560) through to the Senate floor.  Members of the
Senate Judiciary Committee need to hear from you right now.

At the bottom of this message is a list of Senators to call.  Please take
the time to call two of them, before 5 PM EST today.  The bill is
scheduled for mark-up on Thursday, so it's very important that you make
these calls today.

We need to stop this bill, and we can.  Because the INDUCE Act is such a
radical departure from two decades of tech policy (set in place by the
Betamax decision), a truly unprecedented coalition has formed to stop it.
Heavyweights of the technology and electronics sectors are joining public
interest groups in fighting hard against the extremely well-connected
entertainment industry lobbies (the RIAA and MPAA).  Right now there's
something of a stalemate-- insiders all say that INDUCE has a 50/50 shot
at becoming law.

That's why it's extremely important that Senators hear what you have to
say.  This email is going out to the over 5,000 people who participated in
the Save Betamax call-in day.  Tomorrow (Wednesday) the EFF will be
running a call-in day for their members, using the software we made for
Save Betamax.  In just two days Senators could be hearing from tens of
thousands of constituents.  But we need you to make these phone calls, and
spread the word (i.e. on your blog, or in an email to friends) that right
now is the time to act.

SENATORS TO CALL

Please call two of these Senators, and if you have time feel free to make
more calls.  Make sure to look down the list to see if any Senators
represent your state.  Every phone call counts, but calls from
constituents will carry more weight, so make sure to let them know if
you're a constituent.  Also, the RIAA likes to pretend that all musicians
support their breed of copyright extremism.  We know that's not true, so
if you're a musician make sure to mention that as well.

Orrin Hatch
UTAH
202-224-5251

Patrick Leahy
VERMONT
202-224-4242

Charles E. Grassley
IOWA
202.224.3744

Edward M. Kennedy
MASSACHUSETTS
202-224-4543

Arlen Specter
PENNSYLVANIA
202-224-4254

Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
DELAWARE
202-224-5042

Jon Kyl
202) 224-4521
ARIZONA

Herbert Kohl
WISCONSIN
(202) 224-5653

Mike DeWine
OHIO
(202) 224-2315

Dianne Feinstein
CALIFORNIA
202-224-3841

Jeff Sessions
ALABAMA
202) 224-4124

Russell D. Feingold
WISCONSIN
202/224-5323

Lindsey Graham
SOUTH CAROLINA
(202) 224-5972

Charles E. Schumer
NEW YORK
202-224-6542

Larry Craig
IDAHO
202/224-2752

Richard J. Durbin
ILLINOIS
202) 224-2152

Saxby Chambliss
GEORGIA
(202) 224-3521

John Edwards
NORTH CAROLINA
(202) 224-3154

John Cornyn
TEXAS
202-224-2934

NOTES FOR YOUR CALL

On the new INDUCE Act drafts:
The INDUCE Act has already been through several revisions, as Hatch et al.
attempt to appease some of their most powerful opponents.  But none of
these revisions cut it; all of them make industries liable for
infringement they don't commit or even profit from, and all of them would
give the entertainment industry veto power over new technology (say, the
wireless iPod).  For more information on the latest draft, see the
following article in Wired:
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,65084,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_2

On Republicans and Democrats:
Like many tech law issues, this one cuts across party lines (most powerful
members of both parties are on the wrong side).  If you're calling
Republican Senators, emphasize that this legislation would create a huge
new legal liability (which means bogus litigation) against American high
tech companies.  Tell them that the Heritage Foundation and the American
Conservative Union both oppose the bill.  And check out an ACU flyer here:
http://www.boingboing.net/images/acu-inducead-final.pdf

If you're calling Democrats, emphasize that the Betamax decision was sound
policy and that the entertainment companies' extreme stance on copyright
is  directly opposed to the public good.

For more information about the INDUCE Act, go to:
http://savebetamax.org

Thanks for your time and your energy.

Sincerely,

Holmes Wilson
Tiffiniy Cheng
Nicholas Reville
Rebecca Laurie
Downhill Battle Team

- --
Powered by PHPlist, www.phplist.com --

- - - - -
"I do not fear computer,
I fear the lack of them."
 -- Isaac Asimov

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.2.1 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQFBWYdSNiBNyqUzGb8RAnvuAKCCFAM6ANJboDvj4FCilzzmaZGS/ACeNWo3
7lAjzs0xRpUNpqepTGgd+P0=
=uNzE
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----