Congress is at it again

[nobody@vegas.gateway.com (Anonymous Remail Service)]

HOME RECORDING RIGHTS COALITION ALERT !!


IMMINENT CONGRESSIONAL ACTION ON NII COPYRIGHT BILL
THREATENS CONSUMER ELECTRONICS PRODUCTS


The House of Representatives Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual
Property will meet in the next few days to vote on H.R. 2441, the "NII
Copyright Protection Act." If you or your business are in the
congressional district of one of the Members of Congress listed below,
please call the Subcommittee member who represents you NOW.  Tell his
office that this badly imbalanced bill shouldn't be voted on unless
and until the following problem is addressed.   If passed in its
current form, H.R. 2441 would:

 o make it a crime to manufacture the next generation of VCRs,
personal computers and other digital devices needed for recreational
and educational use by adding a sweeping and overbroad new Section
1201 to the Copyright Act.

If you need more information, check out the HRRC home page at 
http://www.access.digex.net/~hrrc/ or call toll free 1-800-282-8273.

ACTION NEEDED NOW!!!

Please immediately prepare a  letter to send (use the draft letter
below as a model) - keep it short. --AND CALL -- the Member of the
House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property who
represents you (see list).  These contacts must be made NO LATER THAN
Tuesday, June 18, and preferably sooner. In addition, please forward
this alert on to your friends and colleagues.

Please address all letters as indicated in the list below to
Washington, DC  20515.  All phone and fax (f) numbers are area code
(202):

The Honorable Carlos Moorhead R-CA 
2346 RHOB
225-4176
f:226-1279


The Honorable James Sensenbrenner R-WI
2332 RHOB
225-5101
f:225-3190


The Honorable George Gekas R-PA
2410 RHOB
225-4315
f: 225-8440


The Honorable Howard Coble R-NC 
403 CHOB
225-3065
f:225-8611


The Honorable Elton Gallegly R-CA 
2441 RHOB
225-5811
f:225-1100


The Honorable Charles Canady R-FL 
1222 LHOB
225-1252
f:225-2279


The Honorable Bob Goodlatte R-NC 
123 CHOB
225-5431
f: 225-9681


The Honorable Martin Hoke R-OH
212 CHOB
225-5871
f:226-0994


The Honorable Sonny Bono R-CA
512 CHOB
225-5330
f:225-2961


The Honorable John Conyers, Jr. D-MI
2426 RHOB
225-5126
f:225-0072


The Honorable Patricia Schroeder D-CO
2307 RHOB
225-4431
f:225-5842


The Honorable Howard Berman D-CA
2231 RHOB
225-4695
f:225-5279


The Honorable Rick Boucher D-VA
2245 RHOB
225-3861
f:225-0442


The Honorable Jerry Nadler D-NY
109 CHOB
225-5635
f:225-6923


The Honorable Xavier Becerra D-CA
1119 LHOB
225-6235
f:225-2202



 SAMPLE LETTER

The Honorable                        
Address
Washington, DC  20515

Dear Rep. ____________:

I have learned that Section 1201 of the NII Copyright Protection Act
(H.R. 2441) could take away my right to use new digital video
technology for my personal recording. It also could delay or even
prevent these new products from being available to consumers.

If I record television programs, I do it for my personal use and
convenience. The Supreme Court's "Betamax" decision confirmed my right
to do this. Section 1201 will change the current law so that I may not
be able to do this in the future with new digital video products.

I understand that a House subcommittee vote on this bill is planned
for next week. I realize that the copyright issue is complex, but
please remember to protect my rights as a consumer. I hope you will
vote against H.R. 2441 as drafted. Will you please let me know your
position on this issue?

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME
Thank you.