Congress should enact legislation to affirm the FCC’s authority t...

real” threat to TV broadcasters, Padden said in testimony prepared for the committee: “Every day, millions of people use so-called peer-to-peer ‘file-sharing’ networks illegally to download copyrighted works without permission from or payment to the copyright owners.” It’s imperative that broadcasting be included in the new digital technology framework to prevent unauthorized Internet redistribution of content, he said. “The important thing is that we put the broadcast flag back on track and let the FCC consider those issues, rather than creating a legacy of devices that fail to protect broadcast content while Congress debates more detailed and controversial legislation,” Padden said. Public Knowledge Pres. Gigi Sohn said in a written statement released Mon., also in advance of today’s Senate Commerce Committee hearing, that Congress shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken by imposing broadcast flag and radio content protection. “The content industry has not shown that any infringement has resulted from these technologies,” Sohn said. “And they certainly have not shown that government technology mandates will work to stop actual copyright pirates rather than prevent ordinary consumers from engaging in lawful activities.” Other alternatives -- public education, enforcement of copyright laws, new business models for content distribution and use of technological tools developed in the marketplace -- can digital content without hurting consumers, she said: “Ask yourselves, in light of recent marketplace developments, is it good policy to turn the Federal Communications Commission into the Federal Computer Commission or the Federal Copyright Commission?”