FCC set-top box plan raises alarms among House Judiciary leaders

The top lawmakers the House Judiciary Committee are worried that a Federal Communications Commission proposal to open up the market for the set-top boxes that consumers use to watch television could lead to "an expansion" in the distribution of pirated content. In the letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI) said they are concerned “that the proposal could lead to an expansion in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted works.” They cited some in the creative community who have raised alarms over the way they say the proposal would expose their work to piracy.

“If the FCC decides to continue to pursue this rulemaking, we urge it to ensure that the marketplace of legal copyrighted works is not harmed by such actions,” Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Conyers wrote in the letter. “In addition the video marketplace has evolved significantly over the past ten years with new entrants and innovation. We will continue to remain watchful to ensure that any proposed FCC regulations are appropriate and promote, rather than inhibit, future innovation and competition in this important marketplace, and that any proposed regulations do not impose a disproportionate burden on smaller or rural providers.”