Screaming Penguin - Source Does Matter

Ars:

A US Congressional subcommittee held hearings today to discuss the Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act, or DMCRA, a rare bit of proconsumer legislation sponsored by Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) and backed by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX)[ed:though he's still a dick for that whole Energy Bill giveaway]. The DMCRA (H.R. 1201) would amend the draconian DMCA to allow consumers to exercise their Fair Use rights by making copies of protected works for personal use, something currently prohibited under current law. It was originally introduced in 2003, and was reintroduced in March of this year.

Anti-DMCRA sentiment revolves around the bugaboo of piracy. Opponents of the legislation, including Rep. Mary Bono (R-CA) and Rep. Cliff Barton (R-FL), parroted the MPAA 's and RIAA's position that any failure to tighten up copyright laws—let alone relax the DMCA—will lead to large scale piracy (and drug trafficking, suicide bombings, sexual deviancy, wife beating, pope abuse, and not helping little old ladies cross the street).

Most people don't understand this, but the DMCA in effect, eliminated Fair Use as a concept in copyright law, because it criminalized the actions required to exercise fair use in our DRM loaded world. I'm not sure what chance this has in the Delay(Blount)/Frist congress, but at least it is showing forward movement.