Who is Affected by the Broadcast Flag, and How?
The broadcast flag most directly affects consumers, but they are not the only group harmed. The broadcast flag also affects the technology industry, as well as those who work in the public interest, such as researchers and archivists, among others. • Consumers The broadcast flag will impose numerous costs on consumers. First, consumers will be faced with otherwise unnecessary upgrade costs to replace legacy equipment that will not function with flag-compliant receivers. DTV receivers that detect a broadcast flag will only convey the signal to other equipment that can adequately protect the content with authorized DRM. Signals received by a flag-compliant DTV receiver cannot be recorded with a non-authorized recorder, even if the flag permits recording. Second, flag-compliant equipment, by definition, offers less functionality than the legacy equipment it will replace.
The broadcast flag most directly affects consumers, but they are not the only group harmed. The broadcast flag also affects the technology industry, as well as those who work in the public interest, such as researchers and archivists, among others. • Consumers The broadcast flag will impose numerous costs on consumers. First, consumers will be faced with otherwise unnecessary upgrade costs to replace legacy equipment that will not function with flag-compliant receivers. DTV receivers that detect a broadcast flag will only convey the signal to other equipment that can adequately protect the content with authorized DRM. Signals received by a flag-compliant DTV receiver cannot be recorded with a non-authorized recorder, even if the flag permits recording. Second, flag-compliant equipment, by definition, offers less functionality than the legacy equipment it will replace. For example, one set of broadcast flag approved DRM technologies removes the ability to record certain content at all,
