“Let the market work,” says Schatz

(Washington, D.C.)  The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) reiterated its opposition to technology mandates today, as the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing to address digital piracy.

“Government should enforce the copyright laws, but designing and mandating anti-copying technology is wasteful and counterproductive,” CCAGW President Tom Schatz said.  “Government should not interfere in the marketplace, especially when the private sector has made such progress in developing legal music and movie services.” 

Schatz pointed to MovieLink and the upcoming re-emergence of Napster as a legitimate music service as examples of private sector achievements.

“The government is never going to reach technological solutions that are as good as the private sector's.  Requiring federal agencies to interfere in this area only wastes taxpayers' money and slows industry's progress.  What we need right now is for the government to step back and let the market work,” Schatz concluded.  “We will get faster, better solutions, without adding to the $480 billion deficit.”

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.