
Whether our federal government is genuinely concerned about undermining copyright or is using the debate as political leverage remains to be seen. When such a compromise is reached is anyone’s guess.īy filing an injunction against set-top boxes, it can be said that Canada helped set a precedent for handling the emergence of new streaming technology that makes it easier for audiences to view pirated content. Earlier this week, Google, Inc., a long-time advocate for set-top boxes, remarked that the pay-TV industry’s “Ditch the Box” proposal is a “constructive effort.” The FCC also announced that they are open to a dialogue with programmers in order to reach the best solution for American television audiences. It’s also becoming increasingly possible that both sides could end up reaching a compromise. “The proposed rules would erode consumer privacy, spur digital piracy, and threaten the very competition and innovation the FCC claims to promote,” the NCTA stated in a “white paper” legal analysis issued in April 2016. (Photo by Matthew Eisman/Getty Images for Common Sense Media)Īccording to the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, the FCC does not have the legal authority to act on this proposal, and would be blatantly ignoring copyright licensing terms. onstage at the 2016 Common Sense Media Awards on in New York City. Federal Communications Commission Tom Wheeler speaks. NEW YORK, NY - MAY 03: Chairman of the U.S. A number of entertainment organizations however, including the MPAA, SAG-AFTRA, the Recording Industry Association of America, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the Directors Guild of America are fiercely opposed to the idea. Additionally, the plan would also give tech giants like Amazon, Apple and Google the ability to make their own boxes and transmit locked cable content along with any other content they wish.
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Along with the Writers Guild of America (WGA), President Obama agrees and once again pledged his support for Wheeler’s plan earlier this year, citing a need to boost competition in the cable TV set-top box market.

Wheeler proposed the plan to unlock set-top boxes with this purported goal in mind: to encourage competition in the cable and satellite industries. It seems that the stall is either political or comes from a genuine concern that unlocking the set-top box will encourage piracy among its users. Congress looks poised to stall Wheeler’s proposal until after he is out of rank. Moving south to the United States of America, our Congress has been grappling with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler’s proposal to “unlock the set-top box” for almost a year.
