| Contacts: | Jeff Joseph tel: 703 907-7664 e-mail: jjoseph@CE.org |
Leah Arnold tel: 703 907 7626 e-mail: larnold@CE.org |
PASSIONATE DEBATES ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, FAIR USE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS REFORM MAKE FOR LIVELY DAY TWO AT CEA'S ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY POLICY SUMMIT
Inaugural Event Entertains and Informs with Keynotes and Discussions Featuring Top Government Officials and Key Entertainment, Consumer Electronics and Communications Industry Leaders
| Arlington, Virginia | 3/20/2006 |
Animated and enthusiastic debates over intellectual property protection, fair use rights and new digital content distribution networks highlighted day two of the Consumer Electronics Association's (CEA®) Entertainment Technology Policy Summit. The inaugural event ran March 15-16, 2006, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C.
CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro opened the second day of the Summit with a focus on the challenges and opportunities presented by the historic intersection of digital content, communications networks and consumer electronics devices. "Today, we will continue to explore the public policy and technology challenges that arise as consumers embrace new ways in which digital content is being delivered to devices as they begin to realize the dream of anytime, anywhere access to video, music, photos, information and more," said Shapiro.
Shapiro challenged content companies to embrace the new digital world. "Content creators must join technology innovators in creating new business models to leverage technology to keep up with consumer habits or risk obsolescence," he warned.
The Policymaker's Dilemma, moderated by CEA's Vice President of Government Affairs Michael Petricone, featured U.S. Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) along with U.S. Congressmen Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Chris Cannon (R-UT). The panel explored lawmakers' struggle to balance the fair use rights of consumers and the intellectual property rights of copyright holders, while allowing technology to continue to drive innovation. "It's critically important that while we're protecting intellectual property, that we are sure that we don't impose mandates that impede the development of consumer electronics products," said Congressman Boucher.
Technology innovators and content owners came together Thursday morning for The Entertainment Reinvention session. Moderated by Rob Pegoraro, consumer technology editor of The Washington Post, panelists included Hank Barry, partner, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners; Ted Cohen, senior vice president, digital development and distribution, EMI Music; Henry Juszkiewicz, chairman and CEO, Gibson Guitar Corp.; Blake Krikorian, CEO, Sling Media; Mike Malcolm, CEO, Kaleidescape; Shelly Palmer, chairman, Advanced Media Committee, The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences; and John Williams, president, MusicGiants. Panelists discussed the opportunities as well as the challenges facing the entertainment industry as new technologies disrupt current business models.
Panelists in the Finding Common Ground session engaged in a sometimes heated and consistently engaging dialogue on intellectual property and fair use. Moderated by David Leibowitz, managing partner, CH Potomac, panelists included Mark Cuban, chairman and president, HDNet; Jeff Lawrence, director of content policy, Intel; Preston Padden, executive vice president, government relations, Walt Disney Company; Stacie Rumenap, deputy director, American Conservative Union and Michael Williams, executive vice president, Law Department, Sony Electronics Inc. Cuban and Padden went toe-to-toe as they debated the need for digital rights management schemes. Cuban dismissed concerns about rampant theft of copyrighted content saying that ripping and encoding movies is too time and bandwidth consuming for most consumers. Rumenap argued that the content community should stop pursuing additional legislative protections following their victory in the Supreme Court's Grokster decision.
Congressman Chip Pickering (R-MS) delivered an engaging and insightful luncheon keynote on day two, outlining the critical issues under debate as Congress begins reform of telecommunications law. During his speech he also thanked the technology industry for its dedication and generosity to the Gulf Coast region in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The Entertainment Technology Policy Summit concluded with a spirited debate on intellectual property and net neutrality featuring the Honorable Dan Glickman, president and CEO, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA); Leslie Harris, executive director, Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT); David Israelite, president and CEO, National Music Publishers Association (NMPA); Gigi Sohn, president and co-founder, Public Knowledge; Fred von Lohmann, senior staff attorney, fair use and intellectual property, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and CEA's Gary Shapiro.
Moderator Gary Arlen of Arlen Communications tried to maintain some semblance of order as the panel elicited laughter and applause from the audience throughout the discussion. Shapiro, von Lohmann, Harris and Sohn engaged in a passionate back-and-forth with Israelite as they challenged his contention that intellectual property deserves the same protections as real property. Shapiro noted that the content community constantly seeks legislative and regulatory protections while technology companies simply want the freedom to innovate. Von Lohmann and Glickman were particularly engaged with Glickman calling von Lohmann "a divider." Von Lohmann, in turn, accused the content community of launching a frontal attack on consumers. "No one wakes up and says, 'Hey, I want to do less with my music today," he said. "And that's what DRM does - allows you to do less and less with content."
Despite their differences, both Shapiro and Glickman agreed in predicting that more deals between the content and hardware industries would be reached in the coming year.
For more information on the Entertainment Technology Policy Summit, including written transcripts, photos and pod casts of the event, visit www.CE.org.
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 2,100 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 $125 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.
Related attachments:
PASSIONATE DEBATES ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY