Family
Movie Act Needs Support
The ViewerFreedom
Foundation urges movie lovers, educators, and parents
of children who watch movies to become informed concerning
the Family Movie Act and its significance to the viewing
of movies in a private setting.
The Foundation is in support of the act, which extends
viewers’ rights to control their home or personal watching
of videos. Furthermore, the Foundation alerts the public
that a decisive stage in the life of the Family Movie
Act will be the next few weeks in the Senate, between
the November 2004 elections and the Thanksgiving recess.
Those interested in the Family Movie Act should immediately
contact their senators to make their position known before
it is voted on.
The Family Movie Act (FMA) is part of a bill that passed
the House and has been submitted to the Senate. For the
text of the actual bill and its status, consult the Library
of Congress website [http://thomas.loc.gov/]. Look up H.R.4077 and scroll down to Section 112.
In essence, the Act makes it legal for someone to create or acquire technology that automatically skips and mutes portions of a movie as it is being viewed. In the context of "filtering” or “sanitizing" a movie for family viewing, such technology could be thought of as an automated remote control that can be pre-programmed to mute foul language and skip over a few scenes of violence or sex in a movie that otherwise has an overall message that parents are comfortable with.
The
Family Movie Act does not authorize approaches to editing
that result in a “copy,” such as an edited DVD or tape.
Instead, the Act authorizes "on-the-fly" editing
of a legal copy of a movie on DVD or some other medium.
Furthermore, the Act does not permit automatic skipping
of commercials.
The ViewerFreedom Foundation is in favor of the Family
Movie Act because it is consistent with the following
guiding principle: balance between the rights of artists
and the rights of viewers. Foundation president Merrill
Hansen said, "Family Movie Act does not reduce the
right of movie makers to choose which movies they will
create and how they will create them. At the same time,
it does expand the right of movie viewers to choose not
only which movies they watch but how they watch them.
Once the Act becomes federal law, parents will be able
to acquire technology that facilitates the process of
selectively muting, blanking, and skipping content they
find offensive."
The ViewerFreedom Foundation encourages those who have
informed themselves concerning the Family Movie Act to
contact their senators to make their opinion heard. One
who will be particularly influential in the decision as
to whether the Act will be voted on in November is Senator
Orrin Hatch. His telephone numbers are 202-224-5251 and
801-375-7881. In discussing the Family Movie Act, be aware
that although it began as a stand-alone bill (H.R.4586),
it is currently Section 112 of a larger bill (H.R.4077),
and it may soon become part of an omnibus Senate bill
or be excluded from the November 2004 Omnibus bill.
To find your Senator, here. For more information regarding Viewer Freedom Foundation,
write or call Merrill Hansen (merrill@viewerfreedom.org
408 368-6686), or Alan Melby (akm@viewerfreedom.org).