For Immediate Release					Contact: Jennifer Greeson, CSPP
March 21, 2002							  (202) 585-0243
									  Diane Smiroldo, BSA
									   (202) 530-5136


IT Industry Opposes Legislation Calling for 
Government Content Protection Mandate on Technology Products

Washington -- Representatives of the information technology industry's
leading associations today expressed their strong opposition to
legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Fritz Hollings (D-SC) that
would impose a broad, government-mandated, content protection device
on IT products.

Leaders from the Business Software Alliance (BSA), the Computer
Systems Policy Project (CSPP), and the Information Technology Industry
Council (ITI) issued the following statements:

KEN KAY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CSPP 

"Government mandates on technology products, as proposed in the
Hollings bill, will decrease consumer choice, degrade product
performance, stifle innovation, and reduce global competitiveness for
US IT products.  The best solution to protecting digital content is a
marketplace-driven solution.

"The IT industry is committed at the highest-levels to stopping
piracy, most recently demonstrated by a letter that nine high-tech
CEOs sent to their counterparts in the entertainment industry.  This
progress should be allowed to continue without government
interference."

ROBERT HOLLEYMAN, PRESIDENT & CEO, BSA

"It is ironic that this bill was introduced today, as the IT and movie
industries are meeting in Los Angeles this very moment in an effort to
resolve this issue.

 "A broad government technology mandate is not a solution to the
piracy problem.  Unfortunately, no one solution will solve all piracy
threats in all circumstances.  The technology industry loses more than
$11 billion each year to software piracy, so we share the movie
industry's passion for resolving this issue.  The voluntary
multi-industry efforts currently underway should be permitted to
continue in order to identify effective, workable market solutions."

-more-

RHETT DAWSON, PRESIDENT, ITI

"We don't think this will help consumers use technology to enjoy
movies or other content more. In fact, if it were enacted it could
stand in the way of consumers enjoying the benefits of innovation by
having the government make decisions that are best left to the
marketplace.

"Thankfully, we have already heard from several congressional leaders
who will oppose it.  In the meantime we are committed to finding
solutions that protect copyright and put technology in the hands of
consumers."

-30-