The Induce Act: Innovation Under Attack
EFFector: "The Senate Judiciary Committee has taken the Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act (Induce Act, S.2560) off the fast track, scheduling a hearing on the bill next Thursday ... More than 6,000 EFF supporters have already written to their senators to stop the Induce Act from giving copyright holders this kind of veto power over new technologies."
Send a letter to stop the Induce Act today:
Senator Charles Schumer
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
476 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Clinton and Schumer,
I am writing to request your opposition to the Inducing Infringement of Copyright Act (the Induce Act, S.2560). The Induce Act would make it illegal to aid, abet, or induce copyright infringement, which could make companies liable for violations committed by their customers. This would be an enormous change in our copyright law. In fact, it could threaten many familiar technologies that have both infringing and non-infringing uses, like the videocassette recorder (VCR) and the Apple iPod.
In addition to endangering existing products, S.2560 would preclude future inventions. If the Induce Act is passed, the creators of the next iPod or VCR will have to subject themselves to approval from every major copyright holder before even getting to market. This will create an unprecedented chilling effect on innovators and those who invest in their companies.
Our country has a long tradition of allowing companies to make information tools, even if those tools can be used to infringe copyrights. This freedom has fueled decades of innovation and created thousands of jobs. The Induce Act would stall our nation's engine of innovation and drastically upset our copyright balance. I urge you to fight it.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Kevin Heller
Send a letter to stop the Induce Act today:
Senator Charles Schumer
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
476 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Clinton and Schumer,
I am writing to request your opposition to the Inducing Infringement of Copyright Act (the Induce Act, S.2560). The Induce Act would make it illegal to aid, abet, or induce copyright infringement, which could make companies liable for violations committed by their customers. This would be an enormous change in our copyright law. In fact, it could threaten many familiar technologies that have both infringing and non-infringing uses, like the videocassette recorder (VCR) and the Apple iPod.
In addition to endangering existing products, S.2560 would preclude future inventions. If the Induce Act is passed, the creators of the next iPod or VCR will have to subject themselves to approval from every major copyright holder before even getting to market. This will create an unprecedented chilling effect on innovators and those who invest in their companies.
Our country has a long tradition of allowing companies to make information tools, even if those tools can be used to infringe copyrights. This freedom has fueled decades of innovation and created thousands of jobs. The Induce Act would stall our nation's engine of innovation and drastically upset our copyright balance. I urge you to fight it.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Kevin Heller
1 Comments:
I sent a follow up more personalized email to HRC after learning that she is now one of the co-sponsors of the bill:
As a constituent, I am disappointed to learn that you are now a co-sponsor of the INDUCE/IICA Act (S.2560).
This bill flies in the face of the Constitution and prior Supreme Court precedent regarding Copyright. As one well versed in copyright law and the history of copyright the modifications to the law in recent years, including the DMCA and term extensions, have drastically upset our copyright balance and passage of this act will only do further harm to innovation and creativity in the marketplace and our public domain.
For a Senator of the United States, elected by the people, to pass a law which would give certain corporations almost unlimited power to harass and sue any individual or business who would fairly use copyrighted works or create new innovative tools to access those works would be antithetical to our democratic ways.
I implore you to reconsider your position on this act and to make the right decision based on an understanding of the Constitution rather than current corporate demands.
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