[DMCA-Activists] Re: DMCA Public Forums at Copyright Office

[Seth Finkelstein]

> The Library of Congress' Copyright Office said on Thursday that it will hold
> a series of public hearings over the next two months in Washington, D.C. and
> California to decide what changes, if any, should be made to the section of
> the DMCA that restricts bypassing copy-protection schemes.
> 
> Anyone with strong feelings about the DMCA, one way or another, may submit a
> request by Apr. 1 to testify during the public forums, the Copyright Office
> said in its announcement. The hearing dates in the U.S. capital will be Apr.
> 11, Apr. 15 and May 2.
> 
> http://news.com.com/2100-1028-993495.html

        Note it's helpful to also know certain details, mentioned
later in the piece:

   "The Copyright Office stresses that factual arguments are at least as
   important as legal arguments and encourages persons who wish to
   testify to provide demonstrative evidence to supplement their
   testimony," Thursday's announcement says. "While testimony from
   attorneys who can articulate legal arguments in support of or
   opposition to a proposed exempted class of works is useful, testimony
   from witnesses who can explain and demonstrate the facts is also
   solicited."

        Read http://www.copyright.gov/fedreg/2003/68fr13652.html

   "There will be time limits on the testimony allowed for persons
   testifying that will be established after receiving all requests
   to testify. In the written comment period, the Office received nearly
   400 written comments. Given the time constraints, only a fraction
   of that number could possibly testify at the hearings. A timely
   request to testify does not guarantee an opportunity to testify at
   these hearings. The Copyright Office encourages parties with
   similar interests to select common representatives to testify on
   behalf of a particular position."

        You can submit a request - but I think it's clear that only
a few will be granted.

        I suspect the way to work this, is in terms of preferential
balloting (metaphorically).

        Submit your request to testify. But if it's just a vote against
the DMCA, say that if the Copyright Office can't find time for your
testimony, you'd like [representative] to "testify on behalf of a
particular position".

        That may get [representative] more time to testify and imbue
their presentation with more weight. Remember, the testimony time is
going to be parceled-out to pro-DMCA testimony too.

        400 people saying they'd like to testify is nice. But 400
aren't going to get to testify - having them all say they'd like 
that, e.g. the EFF should testify if they can't, is even nicer.

-- 
Seth Finkelstein  Consulting Programmer  address@hidden  http://sethf.com
Anticensorware Investigations - http://sethf.com/anticensorware/
Seth Finkelstein's Infothought blog - http://sethf.com/infothought/blog/