atnewyork.com is reporting that Rep. Boucher (VA-09) in introducing a bill to codify and strengthen fair use. My initial reaction mirrors uncoverer’s:
It is great that fair use, the public domain, and consumers have a friend in Congress. Rick Boucher is a great public servant who deserves our support. It’s a shame that we need a new law to secure what should be protected already by the First Amendment, though. An idea, once expressed, belongs to the public domain, and is only loaned to copyright holders to promote creativity and innovation. Fair use is a natural right. It is part of free speech.