Standford Law School Professor Lawrence Lessig has compiled a collection of quotes from Jack Valenti, who has stepped down as president of the Motion Picture Assn. of America, where he was the industry's chief lobbyist.
Valenti, of course, has been a staunch opponent of various forms of technology that do not include digitial rights managment schemes, while Lessig is one of the foremost proponents of freedom of ideas, acclaimed for arguing "against interpretations of copyright that could stifle innovation and discourse online."
The best Valenti quote, I think, is his statement arguing against the VCR, which has created a hugely profitable distribution channel for the film industry. When the device was introduced, though, the movie lobbyist said:
"[Some say] that the VCR is the greatest friend that the American film producer ever had. I say to you that the VCR is to the American film producer and the American public as the Boston strangler is to the woman home alone."Posted by tgibbons at August 4, 2004 02:20 PM