| Contacts: | Jeff Joseph tel: 703 907-7664 e-mail: jjoseph@CE.org |
Jenny Pareti tel: 703 907 7079 e-mail: jpareti@CE.org |
CEA Expresses Strong Opposition to Unreasonable State Piracy Laws
Recent Efforts to Broaden State Laws Are Anti-Consumer; Bills Are "Wolves In Sheep's Clothing"
| Arlington, Virginia | 4/2/2003 |
Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) President and CEO Gary Shapiro released the following statement today in response to efforts by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and allies to broaden state laws against communications piracy:
"CEA strongly opposes the state piracy laws being promoted by MPAA. If enacted, these measures would have a profound and destructive impact on consumers' rights to use lawfully acquired content for noncommercial purposes. The proposed laws also would outlaw the manufacturing and use of many existing consumer electronics products and hinder future technological developments.
"These bills are wolves in sheep's clothing. While Hollywood claims they only impact cable piracy, they are so broad and vague as to criminalize legal products and consumer uses. In essence, these bills replicate the restrictions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) without including any of the DMCA's protections for consumers.
"It's clear that Hollywood's new strategy is to sneak around Congress and go to state legislatures, hoping to gain the anti-consumer restrictions that they have been repeatedly denied on the federal level. We call on the states to stand up for consumers by rejecting these bills, and for Congress to reassert its rightful jurisdiction over consumer fair use issues."
About CEA:
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) represents more than 1,000 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of audio, video, mobile electronics, wireless and landline communications, information technology, home networking, multimedia and accessory products, as well as related services that are sold through consumer channels. Combined, CEA's members account for more than $85 billion in annual sales. CEA's resources are available online at www.CE.org, the definitive source for information about the consumer electronics industry.
CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES - Defining Technology's Future. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.