October 2000

Former Congresswoman warns CPAs on Privacy and Piracy

Former New York Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder warned that publishing and new media professionals should develop an overall strategy and educational tools to combat the piracy of intellectual property during a presentation she gave at a New York State Society of CPA event last week.

Schroeder focused on the importance of digital and new media infringement issues while speaking at the NYSSCPA's Publishing and Printing conference on intellectual property laws in publishing and the Internet, at the New York Hilton Hotel.

Schroeder gave the keynote address, discussing the challenges of piracy within the Internet environment especially in the wake of the Napster decision. Napster is a website that allowed its members to trade pirate and bootleg versions of copyright protected music until a judge ordered the company to stop the practice.

Peggy Smyth, a NYSSCPA Printing and Publishing committee member stated “there will be a tremendous battle in the publishing industry on the heels of Napster, and in terms of intellectual property infringement, within the whole publishing industry. What the former congresswoman said is right on target, and inevitable.”

Schroeder began her keynote speech by discussing how a universal e-book format that can be accessible to all individuals should be developed, not only one for those who could afford expensive converters.

The congresswoman then focused on her main topic, which was the challenging of intellectual property laws by piracy within the Internet environment. Schroeder discussed how digital and new media infringement has really become a major issue, and that publishing and new media professionals should develop an overall strategy and educational tools to combat the piracy of publishing intellectual property.

Schroeder said she selected this topic, because of the ongoing litigation between the music industry and Napster, over the distribution of digital files of recording artists without permission or royalties.

Schroeder, a 12-term congresswoman until 1995, is now the president and chief executive of the Association of American Publishers, Inc.