[DMCA-Activists] Re: (DC 7/17) NY Arena Outreach, 11/3/02

[Seth Johnson]

address@hidden wrote:
> 
> mind passing along that pitch in text form? i'd love to
> pass this along to 2600 meeting across the country (and
> maybe even world?) who meet in public places for
> extended periods of time and generally agree with what
> you're trying to accomplish. if not, is there anything
> else local 2600 meetings can do to help the cause?


Yes.  The street pitch is pasted below, and a media blurb is
below that.  You print the pitch out in double spacing and
use it to let volunteers work off of.

We are also recruiting press outreach campaigners -- people
who can help spread the word as new developments crop up.

We may be able to visit groups within a day trip range of
Manhattan and work with them on outreach, set them up with
tools and some spot training, if they'd like.

Seth


New Yorkers For Fair Use
www.nyfairuse.org

FCC Broadcast Flag Street Outreach Pitch


     Don't let the FCC outlaw home recording!

     Hello, the FCC is planning to enact regulations
requiring that digital TVs not be allowed to have standard
analog audio-video jacks by 2006. Hollywood is trying to
outlaw ownership of home computers, while reserving rights
to own a computer for themselves.

     (Show BPDG flyer, with 4.12 language. Explain that the
proposed FCC rule will outlaw all fully functional digital
TV devices for ordinary citizens while creating an exception
for Hollywood:

> 4.12 Both proposals for section X.2 of the
> Compliance and Robustness Requirements anticipate
> that an appropriate provision will be crafted so
> as to exempt the requirements from applying to
> products that are specifically intended for
> professional and broadcast use [e.g., equipment
> used by studios, TV broadcasters, satellite and
> cable operators].


     We can't let that happen!  Don't you agree?

     New Yorkers for Fair Use is working to stop this policy
and other developments like it that take away your
fundamental rights.  For example, Microsoft is building
something called Palladium into their operating system that
takes control of your computer away from you and lets
spyware run on your computer in a protected space that you
can't access.

     We focus on information freedom issues that directly
affect the local community.  We recruit and train volunteers
to help deliver benefits to the community, to do outreach on
the street and in the media, to help with phone banks, to do
production that's needed to get the word out about what's
going on.  For example, two major areas that are heavily
affected by information freedom issues are libraries and
education.  We are beginning a campaign to deliver software
to our local libraries that lets you access free sources of
online research and scholarship.  By getting PCs donated
that we can preconfigure with non-proprietary software like
this, we can save libraries thousands of dollars.

     Can you help us?

     We need:

          Phone Bankers
          Benefits Delivery
          Press Outreach
          Street Outreach
          Production Workers
          Commentators

----

Media Blurb:


Tell the FCC to Serve the Public, Not Hollywood! 

Public Comments Needed to Stop the "Broadcast Flag" Proposal
at the FCC 

Please go to the Center for Democracy and Technology's
Broadcast Flag Action Page and use their form to let the FCC
know that the public's rights are at stake:
http://www.nyfairuse.org/action/fcc.flag.xhtml. 

What's Going On: 

The FCC is considering a proposal that digital televisions
be required to work only according to the rules set by
Hollywood, through the use of a "broadcast flag" assigned to
digital TV broadcasts. 

Through the deliberations of a group called the Broadcast
Protection Discussion Group which assiduously discounted the
public's rights to use flexible information technology,
Hollywood and leading technology players have devised a plan
that would only allow "professionals" to have
fully-functional devices for processing digital broadcast
materials. 

Hollywood and content producers must not be allowed to
determine the rights of the public to use flexible
information technology. The idea of the broadcast flag is to
implement universal content control and abolish the right of
free citizens to own effective tools for employing digital
content in useful ways. The broadcast flag is theft. 

In the ongoing fight with old world content industries, the
most essential rights and interests in a free society are
those of the public. Free citizens are not mere consumers;
they are not a separate group from so-called
"professionals."  The stakeholders in a truly just
information policy in a free society are the public, not
those who would reserve special rights to control public
uses of information technology.

Please go to the Center for Democracy and Technology's
Broadcast Flag Action Page and use their form to let the FCC
know that the public's rights are at stake:
http://www.cdt.org/action/copyright/.