A couple of weeks ago, the recording industry (i.e. Recording Industry Association of America) agreed not to pursue a law that would require new electronics to be equipped with DRM (the “Fritz chip”) and the computer industry (“Business Software Alliance, which has Microsoft, Apple Computer and Adobe among its members”) agreed not to pursue a law that would ensure consumers’ fair use rights (such as Rick Boucher’s bill).
This was an agreement between consortia of big corporations agreeing not to use their pet congressmen against one another.
In the NY Times story, other consortia (“Computer Systems Policy Project, whose group represents Dell Computer, Intel, Hewlett-Packard and others” and the Motion Picture Association of America) are quoted in the story about what this means to their members. The Consumer Electronics Association is mentioned by inference: “Consumer electronics industry officials did not join the agreement.”
No citizens were heard from.