Big Tech Firms Take On Hollywood Over Piracy

By Agence France-Presse Some of the biggest U.S. technology firms joined Jan. 23 with consumer organizations and others to fight Hollywood's demands for mandatory technology to prevent piracy of films and other digital entertainment. The new group, the Alliance for Digital Progress (ADP), includes Microsoft Corp., Cisco Systems Inc., Intel Corp. and Apple Computer Inc., as well as several consumer groups, think tanks, taxpayer organizations and businesses. The alliance will lobby to dissuade Congress from passing laws requiring anti-piracy technology in computers, DVD players and other electronic devices. Alliance members say that they do not advocate distributing illegal copies but argue that mandatory technology aimed at stopping piracy would be a solution worse than the problem. Consumers and technology groups have been concerned about possible legislation that could require technology that makes it hard to copy films or music, or makes it impossible to play DVDs on more than one device. Although the music industry said recently it would stop lobbying efforts for such mandates, Hollywood's main lobby group, the Motion Picture Association of America, has maintained its policy. The alliance includes several other technology firms, including IBM Corp., Dell Computer Corp. and Hewlett Packard Co.; and a hodgepodge of organizations including Americans for Tax Reform, Citizens Against Government Waste, Citizens for a Sound Economy and the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2003