This morning, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) on behalf of myself and four other plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against a group of media companies which had themselves sued Sonic Blue, Inc., and ReplayTV, Inc. The full information is here. This lawsuit is a stand against the erosion of fair use. As a ReplayTV 4000 series owner, I have joined the suit in the interests of all individuals' fair use rights. "There really isn't an opportunity for the consumers voice to be heard in these cases," is what one of the attorneys, Robin Gross said this morning.
Some of the stories filed on today's announcement in the major media: IDG News Service News.com New York Times (scroll down to the brief) Reuters San Jose Mercury News Washington Post (long analysis) Wired News And in a lot of other interesting places as well: LawMeme at Yale Don Marti in Linux Journal Slashdot.
The Wall Street Journal weighed in with a brief article, which I excerpt a couple of relevant grafs from:
The Electronic Frontier Foundation said it filed its lawsuit to ensure consumers' voices were heard in the debate about digital-video recorders. Technology enthusiasts have been particularly incensed by recent public comments from television executives equating the skipping of television commercials to theft.
"The point we want to make here to Hollywood is, when it comes to television, we're not in their movie theaters -- they're in our living rooms," said Fred von Lohmann, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "I think this whole issue is about control not of intellectual-property rights, but control of my own personal habits," said Seattle freelance journalist Glenn Fleishman, one of five plaintiffs in the lawsuit. "I joined because I think it's time to take a stand."
Hopefully not famous last words. I pledge my life, my freedom, and my sacred fast forward.