Comfortable Disappearance

I have to send a big “thank you” to Senator Diane Feinstein of California, for creating the most frightening piece of legislation this Congress: S. 265 - The PERFORM Act. According to Senator Feinstein’s website:

This bill would require satellite, cable and Internet broadcasters to pay fair market value for the performance of digital music. Additionally, the bill would require the use of readily available and cost-effective technological means to prevent music theft.

emphasis mine
Senator Feinstein intends to compel content providers to embed digital rights management in their content streams. Digital Rights Management is the technology that prohibits you to use your own property as you see fit: such as the AAC format in iTunes. The government should not be requiring anyone to protect their content. If a content provider feels their property is being compromised, then they can take their own measures on their own accord. Perhaps a new business model may be required. Whatever, the solution: it should be the government’s place to require content providers to embed DRM on their streams.

See the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s (EFF) response.

Here’s to hoping this law fails miserably…I can’t recall being this upset with legislation since Bush decided that he could spy on anyone at anytime (that one’s also not a winner).