Statement from MPAA Chairman & CEO Senator Chris Dodd on the FCC’s set-top box proposal
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 15, 2016
Statement from MPAA Chairman & CEO Senator Chris Dodd on the FCC’s Set-Top Box Proposal
WASHINGTON – The White House expressed support for the FCC’s new set-top box proposal today. The following is a statement from MPAA Chairman and CEO Senator Chris Dodd:
“In an effort to promote set-top box alternatives, the FCC cannot take the intellectual property of one industry and give it to another. Chairman Wheeler has maintained he has no intention of doing so, but the proposal’s current wording does not provide the guarantees copyright holders must have. To respect copyright and the programming agreements copyright holders have with their distributors, any FCC rules must explicitly prohibit third parties from using content without seeking permission from or compensating the copyright holders; from manipulating the content, the way it is presented, or otherwise deviating from conditions in the licensing agreement with the pay-TV provider; from selling advertising in conjunction with the programming; from monetizing the viewing habits of subscribers; or from presenting pirated content alongside licensed content. If the goal is simply to enable viewers to access pay-TV service on third-party devices and applications, meeting these requirements should not be a problem. These are the issues we will focus on as the proceeding continues.”
About the MPAA
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) serves as the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video and television industries from its offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Its members include: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLC; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
# # #
For more information, contact:
MPAA Washington, D.C.
Chris Ortman
202-293-1966
Chris_Ortman@motionpictures.org