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Appeals Court Strikes Down Broadcast Flag

Appeals Court Strikes Down Broadcast Flag

A federal appeals court in Washington has struck down the FCC’s so-called “Broadcast Flag” rule, which mandated that TV signals be flagged, or coded, to protect digital content from piracy.
Although the case involves television, observers have been following developments to see if the broadcast flag issue could affect digital radio.
The U.S. Court of Appeals said in its decision that the commission “exceeded” its authority with the rule, which had required TV set manufacturers to make sets that can read the flagged signals by July 1.
The American Library Association and other consumer groups, such as Public Knowledge, challenged the broadcast flag in court, saying it could lead to higher set prices.
The Motion Picture Association of America backed the rule, citing piracy concerns. The code, embedded in broadcast signals, is designed to block illegal re-transmission, particularly over the Internet.
Broadcast Flag proponents would now have to seek relief from Congress.

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