From http://boingboing.net/2002_08_01_archive.html#85332230

Consumer Electronics Assoc. regrets the DMCA but fails to oppose DMCA successor

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is number one on the hit parade of crappy tech-law, a bill that is nominally about deterring infringers but in the real world is almost exlusively used to silence researchers, jail foreign researchers, get Google to remove criticism of Scientology -- basically, to undermine freedom and stall innovation.

The DMCA didn't happen on its own. It got hearty endorsements from the Consumer Electronics Association, from ISP lobbies, and from other parties who really should have known better

Four years late(r), Gary Shapiro, the President of the CEA, has announced that this was a big mistake:

"The DMCA was a very flawed law," CEA President Gary Shapiro said. "We signed off on it, and it was a huge mistake."

The DMCA's successor, the Broadcast Flag Proposal, which will require Hollywood's permission before some new technology can be produced, has also been endorsed by failed to raise opposition from the CEA and was endorsed by lots of IT giants, most notably Intel.

Apparently, even those who remember the past are doomed to repeat it repeat it repeat it repeat it.

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