The Association of Research Libraries, the American Association of Law Libraries, the American Library Association, the Medical Library Association, and the Special Libraries Association are extremely pleased to endorse the "Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act of 2002 (DMCRA)." In recent years, we have witnessed an erosion of the historic and crucial balance in copyright law among users, creators, and owners. This timely legislation will protect the interests of the public by restoring that balance.

Five years ago, Congress passed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. By introducing the DMCRA, Congressmen Rick Boucher (D-VA) and John Doolittle (R-CA) recognize that it is now time for Congress to recalibrate the DMCA to safeguard the interests of the public. The DMCRA reaffirms fair use in a networked environment. It resolves key concerns regarding hardware and software that permit significant non-infringing uses, and it allows researchers to engage in the scientific research of technological protection measures. The DMCRA is essential to the future conduct of research and education in the digital age.

The library community applauds the efforts of Congressman Boucher for his long-standing leadership on copyright and intellectual property issues. Representative Boucher has been an outstanding champion of the library, school, and higher education communities. We look forward to working with Congressman Boucher, Congressman Doolittle, and other members of Congress to move this important legislation forward. We urge members of Congress to support the DMCRA as essential to promoting research and education in a digital environment.

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 124 research libraries in North America. ARL programs and services promote equitable access to and effective use of recorded knowledge in support of teaching, research, scholarship, and community service.

The American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) is a nonprofit educational organization with 5,000 members dedicated to providing leadership and advocacy in the field of legal information and information policy.

The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit educational organization of 61,000 librarians, library trustees, and other friends of libraries dedicated to improving library services and promoting the public interest in a free and open information society.

The Medical Library Association (MLA) is a nonprofit, educational organization of more than 1,100 institutions and 3,800 individual members in the health sciences information field.

The Special Libraries Association (SLA) is an international professional association serving more than 14,000 members of the information profession, including special librarians, information managers, brokers, and consultants.