Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act
Encyclopedia
The Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act (or CBDTPA) was a United States
bill proposed in 2002 that would have prohibited any kind of technology that could be used to read digital content without digital rights management
(DRM)—which prohibits copying and reading any content under copyright
without permission of the copyright owner. The bill was known in early drafts as the "Security Systems and Standards Certification Act" (or SSSCA), and was sometimes derisively called the "Consume But Don't Try Programming Act".
The CBDTPA was proposed by South Carolina
senator
Fritz Hollings (D-SC). Senator Patrick Leahy
(D-VT), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, had stated that he could "not support" the proposed legislation and, as chairman, intended to block consideration of the controversial bill. This essentially killed the bill in 2002.
Proposed penalties for violating the CBDTPA ranged from five to twenty years in prison
, and fines between $50,000 and $1 million.
Richard Stallman
criticized this act due to the restrictions that it would place in the immediate and long-term future on free software
, dubbing the bill the "Consume But Don't Try Programming Act."
Other U.S. senators named as sponsors of the CBDTPA bill include:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bill proposed in 2002 that would have prohibited any kind of technology that could be used to read digital content without digital rights management
Digital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
(DRM)—which prohibits copying and reading any content under copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
without permission of the copyright owner. The bill was known in early drafts as the "Security Systems and Standards Certification Act" (or SSSCA), and was sometimes derisively called the "Consume But Don't Try Programming Act".
The CBDTPA was proposed by South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Fritz Hollings (D-SC). Senator Patrick Leahy
Patrick Leahy
Patrick Joseph Leahy is the senior United States Senator from Vermont and member of the Democratic Party. He is the first and only elected Democratic United States Senator in Vermont's history. He is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Leahy is the second most senior U.S. Senator,...
(D-VT), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, had stated that he could "not support" the proposed legislation and, as chairman, intended to block consideration of the controversial bill. This essentially killed the bill in 2002.
Proposed penalties for violating the CBDTPA ranged from five to twenty years in prison
Federal prison
Federal prisons are run by national governments in countries where subdivisions of the country also operate prisons.In the United States federal prisons are operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In Canada the Correctional Service of Canada operates federal prisons. Prison sentences in these...
, and fines between $50,000 and $1 million.
Richard Stallman
Richard Stallman
Richard Matthew Stallman , often shortened to rms,"'Richard Stallman' is just my mundane name; you can call me 'rms'"|last= Stallman|first= Richard|date= N.D.|work=Richard Stallman's homepage...
criticized this act due to the restrictions that it would place in the immediate and long-term future on free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
, dubbing the bill the "Consume But Don't Try Programming Act."
Other U.S. senators named as sponsors of the CBDTPA bill include:
- John BreauxJohn BreauxJohn Berlinger Breaux is a former United States senator from Louisiana who served from 1987 until 2005. He was also a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1972 to 1987. He was considered one of the more conservative national legislators from the Democratic Party...
(D-LA) - Dianne FeinsteinDianne FeinsteinDianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Senate since 1992. She also served as 38th Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988....
(D-CA) - Daniel InouyeDaniel InouyeDaniel Ken "Dan" Inouye is the senior United States Senator from Hawaii, a member of the Democratic Party, and the President pro tempore of the United States Senate making him the highest-ranking Asian American politician in American history. Inouye is the chairman of the United States Senate...
(D-HI) - Bill Nelson (D-FL)
- Ted StevensTed StevensTheodore Fulton "Ted" Stevens, Sr. was a United States Senator from Alaska, serving from December 24, 1968, until January 3, 2009, and thus the longest-serving Republican senator in history...
(R-AK)