Music And Tech Companies Come To Agreement On Copyrights

from the consumers-are-where-exactly? dept

The RIAA and some technology industry groups have apparently finally come to an "agreement" concerning copy protection. The RIAA has agreed to stop supporting efforts in Congress to require copy protection be built into all consumer electronics technologies (such as Berman's "let Hollywood hack" bill), while the tech industry has agreed to stop supporting efforts in Congress to clearly define consumer rights (such as Boucher's new "change the DMCA" bill). The details are supposed to come out during the day Tuesday, but there's plenty to talk about already. First, noticeably absent from the agreement is the MPAA, showing just how badly Jack Valenti hates technology. At the same time, though, this shows just how quickly the tech industry sold out consumers and their rights. This agreement (if the reporting is accurate) is ridiculous. The tech industry is selling out consumer's rights (something they don't really have the right to speak for), in favor of ditching a bill that would directly impact them. In other words, this as if a shop owner, while being held up said "let's come to a compromise: you rob my customers instead of me, and I won't call the police".