Reprinted with permission
from Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive and The Washington
Post.
Washington Post
October 27, 2003
When four lawmakers announced last week that they were forming
the Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus, some people
who follow all things copyright felt more than a passing feeling
of deja vu. After all, it was six short months ago that a different
set of lawmakers formed the Congressional Caucus on Intellectual
Property Promotion and Piracy Prevention.
These caucuses are not one in the same, despite the suspiciously
similar names. The former is concerned with the proliferation
of bootlegged music, movies and software in other countries
-- most of it available for sale in marketplaces and bazaars.
The latter takes a more direct approach toward siding with
the recording industry in its fight to quash the illegal trade
of copyrighted digital files on networks like Kazaa and Morpheus.
It would be logical to think that one big copyright caucus
could deal with these issues, but the congressional caucus
logic dictates that you can split the hairs of any issue in
multiple ways, and technology is no exception. Here's a quick
look at what some of the leading tech caucuses do:
- Congressional Internet Caucus: This group includes about
170 lawmakers who focus on a number of issues important to
the technology industry and Internet users, including Internet
taxes, the online copyright debate, privacy and spectrum management
issues. Unlike some of the smaller caucuses, it is accompanied
by a full-fledged nonprofit advisory committee sponsored by
the nonprofit Internet Education Foundation.
- Congressional E-911 Caucus: This caucus, in concert with
the E-911 Institute, seeks more funding for expanding the reach
of enhanced 911 systems, including ways to outfit emergency
response centers to figure out the location of people in need
of help or rescue but with nothing more than a cellphone. Right
now, many rescue workers cannot pinpoint the location of most
emergency calls placed on cellphones.
- Congressional Wireless Telecommunications Caucus: A self-explanatory
caucus, these members, including Reps. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.)
and Heather Wilson (R-N.M.), explore a segment of the technology
industry that many industry observers regard as a possible
savior for the technology revolution. On an ironic note, this
caucus has no Web site.
- Research and Development Caucus: Another caucus without a
Web presence, lawmakers focus on trying to secure more funding
for the high-tech industry's R&D projects. One of the group's
larger projects has been a popular if unsuccessful effort to
permanently extend the R&D tax credit.
-- Robert MacMillan, washingtonpost.com Tech Policy Editor
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