By: Staff reports Disney Chief Wants Computer Manufacturers, ISPs Involved
WASHINGTON - (The Hollywood Reporter) Disney chief Michael Eisner urged Congress on
Wednesday to write a new law that would require computer and Internet companies to
include technology that would prevent movies and other copyrighted works from being
pirated off the Web.
'We ask you to begin to explore with us legislation that would assure the efficacy of
technological solutions to copyright security,' Eisner told two select groups of
lawmakers during his trip to Washington. 'As we seek to develop measures such as
watermarking, we need assurance that the people who manufacture computers and the people
who operate ISPs will cooperate by incorporating the technology to look for and respond
to watermarks.'
The technology being developed to electronically watermark video can also be used to
protect electronic text.
While Eisner said he had not developed the notion in any detail, he told the Joint Economic
Committee and the Congressional Internet Caucus that unless something was done, the Internet
could become a barren place.
'It does not take a CPA to figure out that a movie like 'Dinosaur' does not come cheap,'
Eisner said. 'However, it is an investment worth making if there can be substantial reward
in success. But if this reward is allowed to be pirated away, then the creative risk-takers
will put their energies elsewhere, and the Internet will become a wonderful delivery system
with nothing wonderful to deliver.'
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