Burn the Flag

Like some kind of fugitive from a Lovecraft short story, the broadcast flag is irrational to the point of brain death, but keeps rising again no matter how many times you think you've killed it. Cory Doctorow at Boing Boing reports a rumor that one more attempt to sneak the sweeping technology mandate into law (by way of an appropriations bill rider) will be made tomorrow.

ADDENDUM: The invaluable Ernest Miller provides link to take action.

Comments

[Ernest Miller]

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has an action alert here: Forty-Eight Hours To Stop The Broadcast Flag

[JonBuck]

I am sick and tired of these riders slipped into bills that *must* be passed. I don't care if it slows down Congress. They should be made illegal.

[Rick Barton]

The price of liberty is indeed vigilance. Now call! (please)

[Captian Awesome]

We'll here's what I sent to the fine senators from California:

I don't know if Science is necessarily the right topic. But there's a rumor that the broadcast flag is currently being slipped into other legislation. This attempt to bend the development of technology towards giving a particular special interests group the ability to control what and how we can view media in our own homes is un-American, un-democratic and insulting to the general population. Please, help defeat this straightjacket on technological development we may subject ourselves to without even seeing it coming. Thank you.

Of course the film lobby is pretty strong here and they may not get to our messages in time if it's really coming up so soon. Godspeed fellow Hit&runners.

[Rick Barton]

Captian Awesome,

Good job. Thank you.

[Bruce]

As long as the name of the bild has the words "Children" or "Children's" in the title, expect to see the broadcast flag two days from now. Also expect to see the federal police forces busting into people's homes to enforce this new "law."

[tarran]

Why invade homes?

They'll just pay "friendly" visits to manufacturers and importers. The consumer will never see a single enforcer.

[joe]

I think it's nice when the tv stations end their broadcast day with the national anthem and some footage of the flag. I don't see what the big deal is.

Also, no matter how many times I put my resume into the toaster, I can't get it to print out.

[Rick Barton]

Any news on this matter?