CEA Welcomes FCC Involvement In DTV Labeling And Copy Protection Issues

17-Apr-00

The following statement was issued by Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) President and CEO Gary Shapiro in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding the labeling of consumer digital television (DTV) products to indicate their compatibility with digital cable television systems and licensing terms for copy protection technology:""Our industry welcomes the FCC's support as we seek to resolve these two remaining critical issues surrounding the transition to DTV. We have been working tirelessly with the cable industry for the past several years to reach agreement on all of the issues surrounding compatibility between consumer DTV products and digital cable systems. This commitment led to our landmark agreement in February detailing basic requirements that will allow future consumer DTV sets and digital cable systems to work together. ""We remain optimistic that our industries will soon reach agreement on the remaining issue of product labeling. If we can strike an agreement, we hope the Commission will find our deal acceptable as an alternative to a final rulemaking.""At the same time, we are hopeful the Commission's entry into the copy protection debate will spur an agreement on a balanced copy protection licensing agreement that provides the necessary protections for intellectual property while preserving the normal and customary fair use rights enjoyed by all Americans for more than twenty years.The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is a sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA). CEA represents more than 600 US companies involved in the development, manufacturing and distribution of audio, video, mobile electronics, communications, information technology, multimedia and accessory products, as well as related services, that are sold through consumer channels. Combined, these companies account for more than $60 billion in annual sales.CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES - Your Source for Workstyle and Lifestyle Technology. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.