LCA Identifies Negative areas of Broadcast Video Flag
On June 21, 2006, the Library Copyright Alliance and others sent a letter to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation concerning the of S. 2686 portion about the broadcast video flag, it identified three areas where the flag could negatively affect lawful non-commercial uses of broadcast content: distance education; other educational and research uses permitted by the Copyright Act; and discourse involving news, public affairs programs, and public domain materials. Read Letter [PDF]
Broadcast and Audio Flag Testimony
On January 24, 2006, Jonathan Band testified on behalf of the Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) on Broadcast and Audio Flag. The LCA testimony explains specific concerns with the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) broadcast flag rule, and urges the Committee to address these concerns before adopting legislation authorizing the FCC to promulgate the rule. Read Testimony [PDF]
LCA Urges Hearings on Broadcast Flag before Adopting Legislation
On September 19, 2005, the Library Copyright Alliance delivered a letter to Senator Stevens, Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The letter urges the committee to hold hearings before adopting any legislation authorizing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to promulgate Broadcast Flag. If Broadcast Flag went into effect, it would, at minimum, hamper the use of broadcast materials for teaching and scholarship, and harm effective public discourse (which often requires the copying and redissemination of broadcast content). For example, a website seeking to demonstrate the disparate treatment on the news of black "looters" and white "food liberators" in the wake of Hurricane Katrina would need to include clips of television news broadcasts. Read Letter [PDF]