Dear Representative Dunn:

I'm writing to urge you to prevent the
Consumer Broadband and Digital
Television Promotion Act (CBDTPA) from
becoming law.

The CBDTPA must not become law.  It
would be bad for American business, and
it would limit too many of the
fundamental rights that so many American
soldiers have given their lives for.

Here are some reasons the CBDTPA would
be bad for American Business:

    It would prevent "garage-style"
    programming, the type of home-grown
    businesses that created the computer
    revolution which has benefitted the
    American economy so much.  I cannot
    think of a more American form of
    business, but the CBDTPA would
    virtually outlaw it.

    It would increase the cost of
    software and hardware because it
    will have to include the CBDTPA
    anti-copying features.  (More
    features means more complexity means
    increased cost.)  Increased cost
    means fewer people will be able to
    afford it.

    Consumers in other countries won't
    buy any American software or
    hardware because it will cost more
    and their governments won't have a
    CBDTPA requiring them to buy
    American software and hardware.

    It will require costly changes to
    existing software and hardware so it
    can be used in America under the
    tyranny of the CBDTPA.  Meanwhile,
    competitors in other countries will
    be creating new hardware and
    software because they will not need
    to add CBDTPA features to their
    products.

Besides all that, there are technical
reasons that the CBDTPA could never be
enforced.  Outlawing something doesn't
prevent people from doing it.  Look at
the popularity of illegal drugs in
America.

In summary, the CBDTPA is designed to
ensure the profits of the music and
movie industries, but it would do so by
damaging the American high-tech
industry.  Worse, the CBDTPA would
sacrifice the Bill of Rights.  If the
CBDTPA and laws like it are the price of
protecting the profits of the music and
movie entertainment industries, then the
price is too high and we the people can
do without CDs and DVDs.

Sincerely,
Gene Michael Stover (gene@CyberTiggyr.COM)
248 118th Ave SE, apt 22
Bellevue, WA 98005
425-455-4735