Slashdot has a story about various big copyright-holder groups contacting their members, urging them to write to Congress to get the DMCRA locked up in committee. The DMCRA is a bill introduced by Rick Boucher to take the modest steps of requiring the labelling of CDs, DVDs and other products with DRM in them, and to allow Americans to circumvent DRM when for a lawful purpose (i.e., watching foreign DVDs on a domestic DVD player). The FUD from rightsholder groups needs countering, as Slashdot points out, and you can help by writing to Congress in support of the bill. EFF's Action Center has a one-click letter you can send to your Congresscritter asking for her/his support on the bill.
I am writing today to ask you to co-sponsor Rep. Boucher & Doolittle's Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act (DMCRA, H.R. 107). I believe that our copyright law has become unbalanced and fails to address the interests of the public.
The DMCRA would protect consumers from buying "copy protected" audio compact discs that may not work in personal computers, cars, and other consumer devices. It would also codify a citizen's right to make fair uses of copyrighted material. I think that this is an absolutely fundamental step towards redressing the imbalances that have plagued copyright law in recent years.
I hope you will co-sponsor the DMCRA and show your support for the public's rights in digital media. Thank you for your time.
