The SIGGRAPH Public Policy Program Report for 2000

Bob Ellis
July 2000

The mission of the SIGGRAPH Public Policy Program is to provide visibility of relevant public policy information, such as proposed legislation, to SIGGRAPH members and others in the computer graphics technical community and to provide information on the implications of technology to the non technical community, including policy makers and funding agencies. We do so by our "Computer Graphics" column, our web site (http://www.siggraph.org/pub-policy), serving as a catalyst for studies on computer graphics research topics, participation in conferences addressing policy issues, conducting issues surveys, writing white papers and working with ACM public policy groups, such as USACM.

I have some excellent assistance. Myles Losch provides us with expertise in the areas of telecommunications policy and digital aspects of intellectual property issues. David Nelson is our volunteer webmaster. Laurie Reinhart provides editorial support and assists David with the website.

We have developed special emphasis on several issues. In our most far-reaching project, we have been working with the computer graphics research community on defining a study of computer graphics research topics. We have developed a project description for a NRC study and have requested comments from key members of the computer graphics community. We are currently reviewing the comments received.

We have placed special emphasis on the interaction of computer graphics and the Internet. Believing that broadband Internet access is a necessity for successful computer graphics on the Internet, we have commented extensively on the technology and issues associated with services such as Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) and cable modems (http://www.siggraph.org/pub-policy/CGColumn-0599.html). Long before the popular press commented on the security and privacy aspects of these services, we were alerting SIGGRAPH members (http://www.siggraph.org/pub-policy/CGColumn-1199.html).

Computer graphics and intellectual property (IP) issues have also been important. In particular, we have written extensively on digital copy protection schemes in use with DVD technology and proposed for digital TV, which strengthen the rights of owners of IP and may limit the rights of consumers under fair use concepts and home recording rights.

We have previously reviewed CFP conferences and our role in them (http://www.siggraph.org/pub-policy/CGColumn-0598.html and http://www.siggraph.org/pub policy/CGColumn-0899.html). We had a major presence at the CFP2000 conference jointly proposing two sessions. With the support of Myles Losch, I led the proposal for and chaired a plenary session on Security and Privacy in Broadband Internet Services. Panelists included representatives from DSL and cable Internet providers, consumer ISP activities and research. Because the conference was held in Toronto this year and to highlight the special situation in Canada (cable Internet providers must provide open access to all ISPs), two of the panelists were Canadian.

Myles Losch proposed a session on the open access cable Internet issue and then combined it with another session proposal to provide an all Canadian session on The Broadband Internet and Free Speech. Speakers addressed the rationale for, and free speech implications of, Canada's open (or equal) access policy for cable modem service; and the speech inequalities that broadband Internet service can create, especially for small or poorly funded speakers. A University of Toronto professor chaired the panel, which included an expert faculty colleague, key regulatory officials from the telephone and cable television industries, and a top government regulator.

At S2000, we will hold our annual committee and SIG meetings. At our committee meeting we will have a representative of Congressman Billy Tauzin's (Chair of the House Sub-Committee on Telecommunications) staff.

Finally, we have introduced via our website our third public policy survey (http://www.siggraph.org/pub-policy). This survey seeks responses on key public policy issues of interest to the computer graphics community and the roles of ACM and SIGGRAPH.