| Contacts: | Jeff Joseph tel: 703 907-7664 e-mail: jjoseph@CE.org |
Megan Pollock tel: 703-907-7668 e-mail: mpollock@CE.org |
CEA'S SHAPIRO OPTIMISTIC ABOUT GROKSTER OUTCOME
U.S. Supreme Court Hears Oral Argument in MGM v. Grokster
| Arlington, Virginia | 3/28/2005 |
Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) President and CEO Gary Shapiro issued the following statement today in response to the MGM v. Grokster case argued today before the U.S. Supreme Court:
"This is the most important case before the Supreme Court this year. At face value, the case concerns peer-to-peer file sharing. But in truth, the case is much broader. It's about preserving America's proud history of technological innovation and protecting the ability of consumers to access and utilize technology.
"We are optimistic that the Justices will uphold the standards set by the Court in the landmark Betamax decision more than 20 years ago. The Betamax decision set the standard for which technologies should be evaluated - a product should be legal if there are significant non-infringing uses, even if the product or technology can be used to infringe copyright. I was thrilled that at the oral argument the Justices appeared to recognize that innovation and technology are important and that technologies should not be subject to prior scrutiny by copyright owners.
"An adverse decision in this case would undermine the critical balance between protecting intellectual property, innovation and consumers' fair use rights established by Betamax. The Betamax principles stand as the Magna Carta for the technology industry and are responsible for the explosion in innovation that has occurred in the U.S. over the past 20 years. If these principles are undermined, we may witness the end of popular and revolutionary products and technologies such as the iPod, Tivo and even the Internet itself, and also the premature deaths of thousands of products that still only exist as a concept in the mind of young entrepreneurs.
"We will continue to fight to defend the Betamax principles and the right to innovate, no matter the outcome of this case. In the interim, we urge the Court to uphold Betamax and help maintain America's leadership in innovation and entrepreneurship."
About CEA:
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the consumer technology industry through technology policy, events, research, promotion and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA represents more than 2,000 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 $121 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 Tomorrow's Technology. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.