Death by DMCA

This paper discusses the digital millennium copyright act (DMCA), which gives copyright holders new rights to control the way people use copyrighted material and new protection for technologies designed to restrict access or copying. The movie and record companies argued they needed these new restrictions to fight increased piracy threats in the digital era. U.S. entertainment companies are pushing for another wave of even more restrictive legislation. "Broadcast flag" legislation could require that all consumer electronics devices recognize protected television broadcasts and potentially refuse to copy them; a so-called "radio flag" bill would prevent or restrict the manufacture of hard disk recorders for digital radio; and an "analog hole" closure would restrict the connections new digital devices can make with analog devices. As the entertainment industry expands copyright law, the rising tide threatens to completely wash away many type of innovative gadgets