Public Knowledge - Letters to Policy Makers

Letter: To Senate Judiciary Committee Leadership in Support of S. 1145: The Patent Reform Act of 2007

Webmaster — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:00:55 -0400

The Honorable Patrick Leahy
Chairman
Committee on the Judiciary
433 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Arlen Specter
Ranking Member
Committee on the Judiciary
711 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Re: Patent Reform Act of 2007

Dear Chairman Leahy and Ranking Member Specter:

Letter: To House Judiciary Committee Leadership in Support of H.R. 1908: The Patent Reform Act of 2007

Webmaster — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 13:00:04 -0400

The Honorable John Conyers, Jr.
Chairman
Committee on the Judiciary
2426 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Lamar S. Smith
Ranking Member
Committee on the Judiciary
2184 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Howard L. Berman
Chairman
Committee on the Judiciary
Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property
2221 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Howard Coble
Ranking Member
Committee on the Judiciary
Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property
2468 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Re: Patent Reform Act of 2007

Dear Chairman Conyers, Ranking Member Smith, Chairman Berman, and Ranking Member Coble,

Joint NGO Statement: Reject the WIPO Broadcast Treaty

Webmaster — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:06:03 -0400

We call upon WIPO delegates to reject the proposed WIPO Broadcast Treaty.

After more than 9 years of discussions, efforts to find a treaty formulation that deals with piracy of broadcast signals, but which does not harm copyright owners and the legitimate users of broadcasts have failed.

Public Interest Group Letter to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin on Future Set-top Box Requirements

Webmaster — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 14:58:42 -0400

This letter is also available in PDF format.

June 11, 2007

Chairman Kevin J. Martin
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th St. SW
Washington, DC 20554

Re: CS Docket No. 97-80

Dear Chairman Martin:

The undersigned public interest organizations are writing to express our concerns with the cable industry’s plan to use the successor to CableCARD to limit competition and reduce choice in the consumer electronics marketplace. We appreciate your continued efforts to ensure that consumers benefit from the set-top box competition that Congress intended to promote in Section 629 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. We urge you to continue these efforts and to ensure that all voices are heard in the debate over what standards will guide the future of television.

Specifically, we request that the Commission begin a rulemaking proceeding to solicit comment on the Consumer Electronics Association’s November 7, 2006 “Proposal for Bi-Directional Digital Cable Compatibility and Related Issues” filed in the above-referenced docket. In addition, we ask that the Commission seek comment on ways to ensure that whatever technology replaces CableCARD does not restrict consumers’ right to make lawful use of the content they have purchased. Finally, consumers and consumer interest groups, and not just the cable and electronics industries, need to be part of this discussion. Therefore, we ask that the Commission require that all future industry negotiations concerning bidirectional cable compatibility include public interest representatives.

Statement by Certain Industry, Public Interest and Creative Community Representatives on WIPO Broadcast Treaty "Non-paper"

Webmaster — Wed, 09 May 2007 12:03:22 -0400

This statement is also available in PDF format.

STATEMENT CONCERNING THE WIPO BROADCAST TREATY PROVIDED BY CERTAIN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, CONSUMER ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES, PUBLIC INTEREST ORGANIZATIONS, AND CREATIVE COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES

The undersigned represent a broad and diverse group, united in common concern that the WIPO Treaty on the Protection of Broadcasts and Broadcasting Organizations could harm important economic and public policy interests. Members of this group submitted a statement in connection with a forum held at the USPTO on September 5, 2006, and the issues identified in that earlier statement largely remain relevant. This Statement dated May 9, 2007 offers preliminary comments regarding the Chair’s “Non-paper on the WIPO Treaty on the Protection of Broadcasting Organizations” issued by WIPO on May 1, 2007.

Joint Statement of Certain Civil Society, Private Sector and Rightsholders Representatives for the First Special Session of the

Scott Burns — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 16:00:14 -0500

Joint Statement of Certain Civil Society, Private Sector and Rightsholders Representatives for the First Special Session of the SCCR

This letter is also available in PDF Format.

The undersigned organisations represent a broad set of constituencies with a direct interest in the discussions underway regarding an international instrument relating to broadcasting.

Whilst we remain unconvinced that a treaty is necessary at all — and note that no convincing evidence has been presented that new international norms are required in this area — we do believe that a focussed, signal-protection-based Instrument to prevent piracy could be valuable. In the spirit of constructive engagement, we therefore submit the following for consideration of delegations:

Letter Opposing Audio Flag Sent to House Leadership from NAB and CEA

Webmaster — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 14:00:59 -0500

This document is also available in PDF format.

The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert
Speaker of the House
U.S. House of Representatives
H-232, U.S. Capitol Building
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Minority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives
H-204, U.S. Capitol Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Speaker Hastert and Minority Leader Pelosi:

We are writing with regard to year-end attempts to move legislation mandating content protection for digital radio — the “audio flag.” Preserving the rollout of HD Radio is of critical importance to broadcasters, manufacturers, and consumers, and we remain opposed to any mandated, legislative approach on the audio flag.

Letter Opposing Audio Flag Sent to Senator Thad Cochran from Digital Freedom Campaign Supporters

Webmaster — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 14:00:10 -0500

This letter is also available in PDF format.

The Honorable Thad Cochran
Chairman
Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Mr. Chairman:

We write to ask you to oppose any last-minute efforts being mounted by the music industry to enact the so-called Audio Flag legislation.

Letter: Local Radio Internet Coalition Letter Opposing Markup of PERFORM Act

Scott Burns — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 18:00:06 -0400

Letter from The Local Radio Internet Coalition, a group of prominent broadcast companies, to the Senate Judiciary Committee requesting delay in the markup of S. 2644, the Platform Equality and Remedies for Rights Holders in Music (PERFORM) Act of 2006.

A full copy of the letter is available here (PDF).

June 7, 2006 Consumer and Public Interest Group Letter Requesting Hearings on The WIPO Broadcast Treaty

Webmaster — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 17:37:23 -0400

A group of 12 consumer and public-interest groups have asked for Congress to hold hearings on the WIPO Broadcast Treaty before it is submitted to the WIPO General Assembly for consideration and for the U.S. Copyright Office to have a public proceeding to analyze the proposed treaty’s impact. The groups:

are troubled not only by the substance of the treaty, but also by the fact that the U.S. delegation, represented by the Library of Congress Copyright Office and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), have failed to engage in any public discussion about the effect of the treaty on consumers, industry, copyright holders and U.S. law.

The full text of the letter is available here (PDF).