James Delahunty
19 May 2007 6:23
A new Copyright Alliance launched yesterday in Washington D.C. with a self-described goal of "promoting the value of copyright as an agent for creativity, jobs, and growth." While promoting the value of copyright it aims to strengthen existing copyright protection laws. The group has the backing of many organizations including MPAA, NBC, News Corp., Disney, Time Warner, the Business Software Alliance, Microsoft, ASCAP and the NBA.
Several members of congress also back the new Copyright Alliance, including Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) and "Hollywood" Howard Berman (D-CA). The group is headed by Patrick Ross, formerly of the Progress & Freedom Foundation who has written about Intellectual Property (IP) issues for years. The Alliance is dedicated to "strengthening copyright law" using "bilateral, regional, and multilateral agreements to protect creators" and advancing educational programs "that teach the value of strong copyright."
In several papers published on the organizations website, the group repeats the claim that piracy is responsible for the loss of billions of dollars of sales of software, movies and music and argues that most "fair use" claims made today are misleading.
Source:
Ars Technica