Another Day; Another Bad Bill
Again, we go to the fine people at IPAC for the latest in anti-geek legislation slithering its way through Washington:
Few power plays are as blatant and harmful as the PERFORM Act (S. 2644) from northern California’s own Dianne Feinstein. Simply put, PEFORM revokes your right to tape radio shows while imposing draconian DRM on all internet radio.
The Audio Home Recording Act (AHRA) explicitly allows a person to record radio programs for their own personal use. In exchange, we all pay a Hollywood Cartel tax on some blank CDs and tapes. It’s a bill that has served us well for over a decade, but now with advanced satellite radio
receivers that allow paying subscribers to time shift their favorite programs the Hollywood Cartels are asking for ‘backsies’ on the AHRA. Always eager to please her real constituents in Hollywood, Dianne Feinstein stepped up to the plate and introduced PERFORM.But, if overturning the AHRA wasn’t enough, Feinstein slipped in a provision that changes the Copyright Act to force Internet radio stations to impose the most severe and draconian DRM possible. All of the Internet radio stations that you know and love will be forced to abandon MP3
streams. Innovative companies like Pandora are already heavily burdened and taxed by the DMCA, forcing them to spends additional money to license DRM is an undue burden.
There you go. So how do you challenge your righteous anger? Why by picking that bastion of twentieth century, the phone.
Call Senator Feinstein and let her know that you smell a rat. By voicing your opposition to her PERFORM Act, you can remind Feinstein that there are voters - and consequences - outside of Hollywood.
* DC: (202) 224-3841
* San Francisco: (415)393-0707
* Los Angles: (310)914-7300
* San Diego: (619)231-9712
* Fresno: (559) 485-7430
