[dvd-discuss] The Consumer Technology Bill of Rights

["Dean Sanchez" <DSanchez(at)fcci-group.com>]

Bob Thompson's site, http://www.ttgnet.com/rbt/rbtdaynotes.html , has a link to a site, http://www.digitalconsumer.org , that is promoting a 'Bill of Rights' for consumers.  

I know nothing about the site aside from what I've read on the it.  However, I think that the premise behind it has merit, but I would like to see something similar to the Ninth and Tenth Amendments of the Constitution added to it.  Maybe something along the lines of "Enumeration in this Bill of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the user.  The Rights not specifically delegated to the Copyright Holder are reserved to the user."  And maybe replace 'user' with 'People' to reflect the fact that we hold these rights as citizens not just consumers.,

I know that we had discussed in the past the problems related to enumerating the rights conferred through 'fair use' and 'first sale'.  Primarily, the fact that the process of sayings 'these are the right' would eliminate any right to new uses.  However, I think that we have reached a point where, because no rights have be enumerated, the traditional  'fair use' and 'first sale' rights have eroded to such an extent that we no longer have them anyway.  As for adding any new ones, that possibility no longer exists.