From:	 Seth David Schoen <schoen@eff.org>
To:	 lwn@lwn.net
Subject: EFF Broadcast Protection Discussion Group weblog
Date:	 Tue, 2 Apr 2002 20:05:15 -0800

http://www.eff.org/blogs/bpdg/

We called this a "mini-SSSCA" -- a narrow government mandate sought by
electronics and computer industries as an alternative to the broad
mandate in the SSSCA/CBDTPA.  In effect, it's a compromise, a mandate
which only affects one particular area.  (It has some things in common
with the Audio Home Recording Act, an earlier inter-industry
compromise -- including the fact that some of the same lobbyists are
working on this one.  Unlike the AHRA, this affects PCs.)

It's still a mandate, and it's still bad for free software.  It would
mean, in practice, that free software couldn't be used to receive or
display digital television broadcasts.  (There are some other effects
which we'll discuss in future articles.)  Clearly, this is better than
"free software couldn't be used to process digital media at all"!
It's less intrusive and less harsh.  But it's still a problem.

The BPDG has moved into discussions about exactly how they're going to
get the government to mandate this.  With so many powerful industry
associations behind it, it's starting to look like a sure thing.

-- 
Seth Schoen
Staff Technologist                                schoen@eff.org
Electronic Frontier Foundation                    http://www.eff.org/
454 Shotwell Street, San Francisco, CA  94110     1 415 436 9333 x107