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IP Justice Media Release
May 15, 2003
IP Justice Asks U.S. Copyright Office to Empower Digital Media Purchasers
Los Angeles - IP Justice today asked the U.S. Copyright Office to allow lawful purchasers to circumvent access controls that prevent them from enjoying DVDs how and where they choose. Testimony yesterday from IP Justice requested exemptions for owners of music CDs who must bypass controls in order to hear their music collections. IP Justice is an international civil liberties organization focusing on global intellectual property issues. “Copyright owners increasingly embed technological restrictions on DVDs, CDs, and eBooks that interfere with an individual’s right and ability to use their property in lawful ways,” said Robin Gross, IP Justice Founder and Executive Director. “In order to protect eroding consumer rights,the Copyright Office should recommend exemptions to permit digital media owners to bypass access controls so people can watch their DVDs on independently created players, listen to CDs on personal computers, and read their eBooks on laptop computers,” Gross explained. The request came at a hearing to determine whether the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) impeded non-infringing uses of copyrighted materials since it outlaws bypassing access controls on digital media. The DMCA requires the Copyright Office to examine this issue every three years and issue exemptions that permit impeded users to access their digital entertainment. IP Justice filed comments with the Copyright Office in December, proposing six exemptions to allow consumers to circumvent access controls that tether E-Books, DVDs and CDs to certain devices or platforms that prevent access to lawful use of their property. Students at Stanford University Law School’s Cyberlaw Clinic assisted in the preparation of the IP Justice comments and testimony, supervised by Center for Internet and Society Assistant Director and attorney Lauren Gelman. Fall semester Cyberlaw Clinic student Mia Garlick delivered today’stestimony requesting DVD exemptions for IP Justice. Ms. Garlick worked on the comments as part of her course work in the clinic and has been interning with IP Justice since then. “During the first rule making, movie studio executives promised the Copyright Office a DVD player for the Linux operating system was about to be introduced to the public, so no exemption was warranted. Three years later,the Linux DVD player remains unavailable and if anyone tried to build one, they’d be in violation of the DMCA,” stated Ms. Garlick. “These proceedings highlight the massive thievery of individual rights taking place from large media giants imposing technological restrictions on people,” Gross said. “Even if exemptions are granted to permit digital media owners to bypass the controls, the tools necessary to engage in that circumvention remain illegal under the DMCA,” she explained.
The comments submitted by IP Justice in December are available at:
IP Justice testimony for U.S. Copyright Office DMCA Hearings in Rulemaking:
IP Justice is a grassroots membership based civil liberties organization that promotes balanced intellectual property law. IP Justice defends individual rights to use digital media worldwide and is a registered California non-profit organization. IP Justice was founded in 2002 by Robin Gross, who serves as its Executive Director. To learn more aboutIP Justice, visit the website at http://www.ipjustice.org .
The CIS offers Stanford Law School students a clinical program in public interest Internet law through its Cyberlaw Clinic. Students enrolled inthe clinical program assist attorneys in advising clients, and litigation cases. More information about the Clinic can be found on the Stanford Law School Center for Internet and Society website at:
http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu
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