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% Copyright (c) 2002 Gene Michael Stover.  Permission to
% copy is granted.  Modifying, printing, & mailing to
% your senators & representatives is encouraged.
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% Letters to my senators & representative urging
% them to prevent the  Consumer Broadband and Digital
% Television Promotion Act (CBDTPA) from becoming law.
% Gives some reasons.
%
% By Gene Michael Stover
% Thursday, 28 March 2002
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% To be included into letter.tex when it is compiled
% with LaTeX.
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I'm writing to urge you to prevent the Consumer Broadband
and Digital Television Promotion Act (CBDTPA) from becoming
law.

The CBDTPA must not become law.  It would be bad for
American business, and it would limit too many of the
fundamental rights that so many American soldiers have given
their lives for.

Here are some reasons the CBDTPA would be bad for American
Business:

\begin{enumerate}

    \item
    It would prevent ``garage-style'' programming, the type of
    home-grown businesses that created the computer
    revolution which has benefitted the American economy so
    much.  I cannot think of a more American form of
    business, but the CBDTPA would virtually outlaw it.

    \item
    It would increase the cost of software and hardware
    because it will have to include the CBDTPA anti-copying
    features.  (More features means more complexity means
    increased cost.)  Increased cost means fewer people will
    be able to afford it.

    \item
    Consumers in other countries won't buy any American
    software or hardware because it will cost more and their
    governments won't have a CBDTPA requiring them to buy
    American software and hardware.

    \item
    It will require costly changes to existing software and
    hardware so it can be used in America under the tyranny
    of the CBDTPA.  Meanwhile, competitors in other
    countries will be creating new hardware and software
    because they will not need to add CBDTPA features to
    their products.

\end{enumerate}

Besides all that, there are technical reasons that the
CBDTPA could never be enforced.  Outlawing something doesn't
prevent people from doing it.  Look at the popularity of
illegal drugs in America.

In summary, the CBDTPA is designed to ensure the profits of
the music and movie industries, but it would do so by
damaging the American high-tech industry.  Worse, the CBDTPA
would sacrifice the Bill of Rights.  If the CBDTPA and laws
like it are the price of protecting the profits of the music
and movie entertainment industries, then the price is too
high and we the people can do without CDs and DVDs.

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