An editorial in the Los Angeles Times this morning captured perfectly the debate over the broadcast flag and the accompanying attack on digital radio.
The editorial recognizes that need to protect intellectual property — something which we certainly agree. At the same time, the editorial argues that Congress has gone overboard in the past in allowing for protection of copyright, and is again using copyright law to take over design of consumer electronics and control over how consumers use legitimate devices.
This is the editorial's the conclusion:
“Clearly, the industry-backed proposals would do more than just defend copyrighted works from pirates. They also would impinge on devices that have legitimate uses and steer the development of technology, cutting off some innovation. As they weigh the entertainment industry's pleas, lawmakers shouldn't assume all consumers are bootleggers and every digital device is a hand grenade aimed at Hollywood.”
The whole editorial is here