O'Reilly Network Weblogs: Lofgren, Boucher step up anti-DMCA efforts

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http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/3361

Lofgren, Boucher step up anti-DMCA efforts

by Richard Koman
Jun. 20, 2003
URL: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ca16_lofgren/pr_030618_DMCA.html

Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Rick Boucher issued a press release yesterday calling on Congress to fix DMCA, in light of information that doing so would not put the US in treaty violation.

In May and June, the US signed treaties with Singapore and Chile which included language taken right out of the DMCA. Would those "free trade agreements" mean that if Congress ameded the DMCA, the US would be in breach? The Office of the US Trade Represntative said yes. But yesteray, Lofgren announced that according to Secretary of Commerce Don Evans, Congress' right to amend laws would not be affected.

As the administration pushes more of these free trade agreements, DMCA will become more and more pervasive around the world. Even after (and if!) the US amends DMCA, like a particularly nasty virus it will have already infected the rest of the world, limiting people's rights, even as the US decided its too onerous for its own citizens. I'm envisioning Big Copyright as Big Tobacco.

In the meantime, Lofgren and Boucher have yet to get hearings on their bills, so the chances of movement here are still a very long shot.

For more on the US export of copyright law, see my interview with Robin Gross

Richard Koman is a freelancer writer and editor based in Sonoma County, California. He works on SiliconValleyWatcher, ZDNet blogs, and is a regular contributor to the O'Reilly Network.