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March 27, 2002

Promote Consumer Use of Broadband and Prevent Digital Piracy!

Dear Colleague 

        I invite you to join me in supporting legislation that would
        encourage demand for broadband Internet service and protect
        creative enterprise from the threat of digital piracy.

        The promise of the Internet has not been fully met.  While
        consumers have unprecedented access to information resources
        on the web, there is still a demand for more.  Congress has
        recently debated ways to better serve our constituents by
        improving access to broadband Internet service, yet the demand
        for this technology is severely lacking.  This is simply
        because consumers can't get what they want -- high quality
        digital content like movies, music, and video games.

        The reason for this has become very clear.  Our nation's
        creative enterprises have been hesitant to offer their
        products over the Internet out of fear of piracy --
        intellectual theft.  And their concerns are justified.  The
        movie studios estimate that they lose over $3 billion annually
        to piracy, yet private industry has stalled in developing
        technology to prevent this illegal activity.

        I would like to direct your attention to the following op-ed
        written by Michael Eisner, Chairman and CEO of Disney.
        Mr. Eisner points out the profound historical significance of
        intellectual property rights and draws on one early and
        aggressive advocate of protecting such property rights, the
        16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.

        I plan to introduce legislation that would safeguard digital
        content by spurring the rapid development of copyright
        protection technology.  Similar legislation, S. 2048, has been
        introduced in the Senate by Senators Hollings, Stevens,
        Inouye, Breaux, Nelson and Feinstein.  I believe this is a
        necessary step and I encourage you to join me in this effort.

        If you have any questions or would like to become an original
        cosponsor, please contact me or Jen Briggs of my staff at
        5-4176.

Sincerely, 
Adam B. Schiff 
Member of Congress