PC industry v Hollywood

The major content providers -- Hollywood, for short -- have been trampling consumer concerns underfoot in the rush to Digital Rights Management control in the US. Now it seems the Business Software Alliance -- best-known for its efforts to get people fined or jailed for software piracy -- is lobbying in the other direction. "They hope to convince Congress that strict copy-protection legislation setting technological mandates would stifle innovation, harm consumers and threaten an already-suffering tech industry," says the Merc in a piece headed Tech industry to launch new Washington lobbying effort. The BSA's backers include Microsoft, Intel, and PC makers such as Hewlett-Packard. OK, guys and gals, you can make copies of Harry Potter movies but not Microsoft Office. Got that?