Digital Rights Management Tools:
Whose Rights Are Being Managed?
April 3, 2003
Overview | Video | Panelist Biographies| One-Pagers
The Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee's event, "Digital Rights Management Tools: Whose Rights Are Being Managed?," began with Congressman Boucher addressing a packed room of Congressional staff, press, Federal Trade Commission staff, Federal Communications Commission staff, and several representatives from from the Internet Caucus Advisory Committee. Congressman Boucher argued that "Reasonable expectations of consumers need to be fully protected. Technology cannot trump fair use rights." Mr. Boucher also noted that fair uses by consumers must not infringe on the copyright holder's rights. Mr. Boucher predicted that once this balance has been achieved, consumers will place more value on the works and ultimately will be willing to pay more for them.
The moderator, Jim Lucier from Prudential Securities, introduced a short PowerPoint presentation that outlined what DRMs are and also illustrated some DRM-enabled business models. Joe Keeley from the Business Software Alliance presented the PowerPoint. Mr. Lucier introduced the first panelist, Alan Davidson (Center for Democracy and Technology), who explained that DRM tools offer both promise and peril. Mr. Davidson noted that while DRMs may enable new business models and more choices in technologies for consumers, they may also limit the future of development. Mr. Davidson outlined four themes that had emerged from extensive dialogues with industry: The need for content protection, flexibility to enable future innovations, preservation of reasonable uses of content, and consideration of public interest values.
Shira Perlmutter (AOL Time Warner) explained DRM as "shorthand for the many ways content delivered to consumers can be protected." Although DRM can be highly restrictive, Ms. Perlmutter reminded the audience of Congressional staff that AOL Time Warner's goal, as a content company, is to make its digital content available to its customers.
Bruce Turnbull (Weil, Gotshal & Manges) addressed this debate from the perspective of electronics manufacturers. Mr. Turnbull said he believes Congress's role in the DRM debate should be as a "gap filler," helping resolve debates and enforcing current legislation.
Mairead Martin (University of Wisconsin) represented the perspective of both higher learning institutions and libraries. Ms. Martin announced that they will start taking a more proactive part in the debate on DRMs. Ms. Martin also expressed her concern that universities and libraries have not been considered in the overall discussion of DRMs and that their needs are different from those of the business community. Ms. Martin concluded by explaining, "The value of the Internet to enhance education will be stunted," if current DRM plans and legislation continues.
The above views are those of the panelists -- not the Internet Caucus or the Advisory Committee. The Internet Caucus Advisory Committee holds these balanced panels as educational opportunities to better educate Congressional Members and staff about the current Internet debates in the 108th Congress.
For more detail regarding the event please view the complete