The timeliness is rather amazing. Tonight, one day after the appeals decision in the DMCA case was handed down against us, the head of the Motion Picture Association of America, Jack Valenti, is scheduled to take part in a debate with Stanford University law professor Larry Lessig. The topic? The DMCA, of course!

This event is free and open to the public. It all takes place at the Annenberg School for Communication at USC in Los Angeles starting at 5:00 pm Pacific Time and lasting 90 minutes.

This is a great opportunity to show your feelings about what has happened. Feel free to bring leaflets that coherently express your position and give people a way of getting more information in the future. You may even get an opportunity to ask pointed questions. And if you're not in that part of the world, the whole thing is scheduled to be webcast. Details are below in an invitatiion that somehow fell into our hands.

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CREATIVITY, COMMERCE & CULTURE: LESSIG VS. VALENTI

In the new digital environment, what impact do intellectual property rights have on innovation and creativity? Do copyrights and patents hamper or enhance artistic life? How is our creative culture being shaped by changes in law and technology?

You are invited to join a spirited exchange between Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, and Lawrence Lessig, Stanford University Law professor and author of The Future of Ideas: The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World, on Thursday, November 29, 2001, 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California.

WHEN:
Thursday, November 29, 2001, 5:00 - 6:30 pm
Reception immediately following debate.

WHERE:
Annenberg School for Communication
University of Southern California
3502 Watt Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0281

RSVP:
To reserve seating, call 213-740-5658 or email ascevent@usc.edu
This event is free and open to the public.

WEBCAST:
For those interested but not able to attend in person, the event will also feature a live webcast and bulletin board discussion.
For more information visit http://ascweb.usc.edu/asc.php?pageID=110&story=29&upcoming=1

PARKING:
Enter campus at Gate 6 located on Vermont Ave. & 36th Place. Look for Annenberg Event signs from the parking structure to the Annenberg School. Parking at USC is $6. For more parking information and directions visit http://www.usc.edu/info/maps/

SPONSORED BY:
The event is co-sponsored by USC Annenberg's Norman Lear Center and by the Center for the Public Domain, a Durham, North Carolina-based philanthropic foundation.