Big Technology Firms Take on Hollywood Over Piracy

Some of the biggest US technology

firms joined Thursday with consumer organizations and others to

fight Hollywood’s demands for mandatory technology to prevent piracy

of films and other digital entertainment.

The new group, the Alliance for Digital Progress (ADP), includes

Microsoft, Cisco, Intel and Apple, as well as several consumer

groups, think tanks, taxpayer organizations and businesses.

The alliance will lobby to dissuade Congress from passing laws

requiring anti-piracy technology in computers, DVD players and other

electronic devices.

Alliance members say that they do not advocate distributing

illegal copies, but that mandatory technology aimed at stopping

piracy would be a solution worse than the problem.

“Piracy of digital content is a serious, complex problem that

concerns all of us,” said Fred McClure, president of the alliance.

“But government-designed and mandated technology that swaps the

diversity of marketplace solutions for a ‘one size fits all’

approach is not the answer. Mandates are a mistake. A mandate will

raise the price of everything from CD players and DVD players to

personal computers. It will make the devices consumers own today

obsolete. And it will stifle the innovation at the heart of digital

progress.”

Consumers and technology groups have been concerned about

possible legislation that could require technology that makes it

hard to copy films or music or make it impossible to play DVDs on

more than one device.

“We are greatly concerned that Hollywood is trying to pressure

Congress into forcing technology mandates onto American consumers,”

McClure said.

“Hollywood should be working with others in the private sector to

develop solutions to the piracy problem that will succeed in the

marketplace and benefit consumers.”

Although the music industry said recently it would stop lobbying

efforts for such mandates, Hollywood’s main lobby group, the Motion

Picture Association of America, has maintained its policy.

“Hollywood leaders like Jack Valenti (of the MPAA) would have

organized the monks to burn down Gutenberg’s printing press if they

were alive during that period of rapid change and innovation,” said

Harris Miller, president of the Information Technology Association

of America, a high-tech group that is part of the alliance.

“Legislators have heard Hollywood’s pleas to stifle innovation,

but more education will help them make informed decisions. We look

forward to working with ADP to make sure all sides are heard when it

comes to digital rights management.”

Digital rights advocates say Hollywood has cried wolf before,

having sought special protection against videotapes when VHS

technology arrived, but noted that the industry’s 2002 revenues set

a record for the third year running.

The alliance includes several other tech firms including IBM,

Dell Computer and Hewlett Packard; and a hodgepodge of organizations

including Americans for Tax Reform, Citizens Against Government

Waste, Citizens for a Sound Economy and the Competitive Enterprise

Institute.