o Calif. Rep. Lofgren Introduces Bill to Ensure "Fair Use" of Copyrights

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) has reintroduced
legislation that would make changes to the controversial Digital
Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) designed to protect consumers' ability to
enjoy purchased digital copies of books, music and movies. Lofgren's bill,
the Benefit Authors without Limiting Advancement or Net Consumer
Expectations, or BALANCE Act, would give consumers the ability to make
personal uses of digital entertainment such as music, movies and books.
"There is wide agreement to fight piracy, and it is something that needs
to be stopped. But individual consumers are being denied their legitimate
rights in the digital age," said Lofgren. "We can solve this problem, but
lawsuits and locking down content are not the solutions." Lofgren's bill
has found support from Stanford professor and copyright expert Lawrence
Lessig and the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Paula Samuelson. Rep. Rick
Boucher (D-Va.) originally co-sponsored the BALANCE Act, and is himself
currently advancing similar legislation that would ensure consumers'
traditional "fair use" rights with regard to copyrighted materials.
http://www.house.gov/lofgren/news/2003/030304.htm