Digital Transition Content Security Act

I've already contacted my congressman and am awaiting feedback. If you're in the U.S., I suggest you do the same! HR-4569, the Digital Transition Content Security Act, would attempt to mandate by law the closing of the analog hole in digital rights restrictions used by the MPAA and RIAA. Current consumer devices that convert analog signals into digital data and vise versa would no longer be legal to manufacture, and innovation in the tech industry may be crippled.

Organizations like the EFF and Public Knowledge are working on this as we speak, but they can't do it alone. Contact your representatives in the House to get this bill struck down before it goes any further. Our fair use rights under copyright law are in very real danger here, due to this bill giving Hollywood the ability to mandate restrictions on what technology can do with any piece of content. To exercise your legal fair use rights, it would be necessary to circumvent these technological measures, which itself would be illegal, in effect denying your rights by corporate mandate.

Remember, this is the industry that wanted VCRs illegal in the first place, but the manufacturers fought back and we now have the lifestyle enhancements of timeshifting and home video editing.

More info: Neuros | EFF | Public Knowledge