ZDNet is running a story about the formation of The Copyright Alliance - the new anti-consumer group in town - that has the potential to be more annoying than anything seen before. From ZDNet:
"Some of the staunchest advocates for stricter copyright laws have formed a new alliance designed to pressure Congress into preserving stronger intellectual property rights.
The Copyright Alliance--which launched, complete with electric-green and white T-shirts displaying its logo at a morning Capitol Hill event here--consists of 29 national organizations and companies that purport to represent 11 million workers in copyright-related industries. Those members include the Recording Industry Association of America, the Association of American Publishers, the Motion Picture Association of America, Microsoft, Viacom and Walt Disney.
The group's members aren't expected to agree on all the nuances of policy debates, said Patrick Ross, the alliance's executive director.
But according to a press release, they're all committed to broad goals like promoting the "vital role" of copyright in the U.S. economy and job market, encouraging inclusion of copyright protection requirements in international agreements, supporting civil and criminal penalties for piracy, and advocating against "diminishment" of copyright law.
As copyrighted works become ever more widely distributed through digital means, those who own the rights "still want to get paid," Ross said.
The group's formation drew applause from key politicians who preside over copyright law changes, including U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), who heads a key House panel that influences copyright laws."
More after the link.
Source: ZDNet
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