Jim Sensenbrenner and John Conyers’ Campaign Contributors Want to Kill Your TiVo

By Thomas Hawk | December 20th, 2005

Well it’s nice to know that you can still buy politicians from Michigan and Wisconsin these days. From John Dvorak: “A frightening bit of legislation was introduced to the US House Judiciary Committee on Friday. The Digital Transition Content Security Act of 2005 (PDF) is sponsored by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) (PDF) and would close that pesky analog hole that poses such a dire threat to the survival of the music and movie industries. The bill was originally planned for introduction in early November, but was tabled after hearings held by the House Subcomittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property.”

Calling the ability to convert analog video content to a digital format a “significant technical weakness in content protection,” H.R. 4569 would require all consumer electronics video devices manufactured more than 12 months after the DTCSA is passed to be able to detect and obey a “rights signaling system” that would be used to limit how content is viewed and used. That rights signaling system would consist of two DRM technologies, Video Encoded Invisible Light (VEIL) and Content Generation Management SystemAnalog (CGMS-A), which would be embedded in broadcasts and other analog video content.”

Interesting. When I go to opensecrets.org and look who Jim Sensenbrenner’s top contributors are a few names tend to stand out: Broadcast Music Inc., News Corp., Comcast Corp., Viacom Inc., Motion Picture Assn of America (MPAA) and the Major League Baseball Commissioner’s Office. It’s also interesting to note on Sensenbrenner’s latest reported personal financial statement that he received two all expense paid trips (including other family members) to Vegas and New Orleans [PDF] from the National Association of Broadcasters and the National Cable and Telecomm Association. I wonder if he was flying first class and I wonder if these people want you to have your TiVo or not?

And isn’t it ironic when you look up John Conyers’ financial information that you find some of the same and some new names as well. Some of the names that stick out as John Conyers’ largest financial contributors? Comcast Corp., Clear Channel Communications, Major League Baseball Commissioner’s Office and ASCAP. Hey, at least to Conyers’ credit though, he wasn’t on the same all expenses paid trips with his family to Vegas and New Orleans that Sensenbrenner was. At least that I can tell from his financial statement.