PDF of Florida Free Culture public statement. Text below…

November 15, 2005
For Immediate Release
Contact: Gavin Baker

Students Applaud Stearns Leadership in Hearings
Florida Free Culture statement on Congressional fair use hearings

BACKGROUND: The House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, chaired by Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-­FL), will hold a hearing on “Fair Use: Its Effects on Consumers and Industry” on Nov. 16. Stearns’ district includes west Gainesville and the University of Florida.

The following statement is attributed to Gavin Baker, president of Florida Free Culture:

“Florida Free Culture applauds the Congressional fair use hearings scheduled for Nov. 16. Fair use is a potent, viable doctrine that protects consumer rights, creativity, and technological innovation. These protections act as a balance in copyright law, ensuring the public good is preserved.

Unfortunately, massive expansions in copyright law have placed fair use under direct assault. Chairman Stearns’ constituents are understandably concerned about these attacks on fair use protections. Without fair use, we would have no VCRs, no iPods, no TiVos, and no Google. Gainesville’s technology companies should realize that fair use doctrine protects their freedom to innovate and use copyrighted material in new ways.

Florida Free Culture hopes that Chairman Stearns and the subcommittee will use these hearings to investigate ways to protect and bolster fair use, preserving consumer rights and America’s ability to innovate in the global economy.”

Witnesses at the hearing will include representatives of the Library Copyright Alliance, a group of library organizations whose members include the University of Florida; NetCoalition, a lobby group that includes companies such as Yahoo! and Google; and the Consumer Electronics Association, the principal trade association of the consumer electronics and information technology industries.

WHO: House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection
WHAT: Hearing on “Fair Use: Its Effects on Consumers and Industry”
WHEN: Nov. 16, 10 a.m.
WHERE: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
WEB SITE: http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/Hearings/11162005hearing1716/hearing.htm

ABOUT FLORIDA FREE CULTURE: Florida Free Culture is a student group at the University of Florida that works to reform copyright and related laws. Florida Free Culture is the UF chapter of FreeCulture.org, the international student movement for free culture.

For more information about Florida Free Culture, visit: http://uf.freeculture.org/