ARCHIVED: Maryland UCITA

November 1, 1999

Dear LLAM Members,

Maryland legislators are carefully reviewing UCITA and are conducting a series of work-group meetings this week and next to educate themselves on the legislation, and to bring opponents and proponents together through a negotiating process.

While we are engaged in these negotiations, we continue to oppose strongly the enactment of UCITA in Maryland. Our goal is to slow it down.

Below are the names of three key state legislators that we urge you to contact if you are in their district (all are from the Baltimore or Baltimore County area). They need to receive negative messages about UCITA from their constituents. Each and every contact will count!

Sen. Thomas L. Bromwell (Dem--District 8)
Chair, Senate Finance Committee
410.841.3620

Sen. Delores G. Kelley (Dem--District 10)
Member, Senate Finance Committee and Professor, Coppin State College
410.841.3606
Dist.: 298.9707
e-mail: delores_kelley@senate.state.md.us

Rep. Kenneth C. Montague, Jr. (Dem--District 43)
410.841.3259

Here's the message (pick one or two of the bullets to comment on):

"I urge you to oppose the enactment of UCITA in Maryland (S.B. 142 and H.B. 19) because it will harm businesses, libraries and consumers in our state. It redefines the sale of computer software and "computer information" as the licensing of "intangible" information.

UCITA will:

• unravel fair use and the first sale doctrine that under current copyright law ensure the free flow of information.

• outlaw the right to transfer legally acquired materials through interlibrary loan, or through a gifts and exchange program.

• make shrink-wrap and click on licenses enforceable, with the result that a librarian may discover after the fact that certain terms conflict with legitimate practices under current copyright law.

• leave libraries with few rights and little bargaining power, especially when there is little competition of products in the marketplace. "

For more information:

See the February 3, 2000 testimony of Harvey Morrell and Jim Neal before the Md. General Assembly.
http://www.aallnet.org/aallwash/testimony.asp

Check out the 4cite coalition's web-site at www.4cite.org.

Read the latest anti-UCITA press piece at:
http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,12615,00.html

Thanks very much!
Mary Alice Baish