Copyright Chronicle Publishing Company Mar 4, 1988 COPYRIGHT AGREEMENT PROTESTED
Film makers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas urged Congress
yesterday not to let the United States join an international copyright
agreement without protecting the rights of artists.
Spielberg and Lucas told the Senate Judiciary Committee that they
are especially concerned about alterations to movies, such as
"colorization" - adding color to films made in black and white - and
editing done without the approval of the producers and directors.
They were testifying at a hearing on U.S. acceptance of the international copyright agreement known as the Berne Convention.
They said the Berne Convention requires all member countries to have
a moral rights provision giving artists the right to object to
alterations in their works. They said current U.S. law does not provide
such protection and should be changed.
GREENSPAN FAVORS TAX ON GASOLINE
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan told Congress
yesterday that he favors a gasoline tax over an oil import tax as a way
of raising revenues to lower the federal budget deficit.
Greenspan told the House Budget Committee that he prefers a gasoline
tax because it would specifically affect consumer spending without
distorting the business sector as severely as an oil import tax might.
Greenspan said a rise of 15 cents a gallon in gasoline would raise
$15 billion annually. He argued, however, that future deficits will have
to be closed mainly through spending cuts. He said that when Congress
raises taxes, it usually ends up spending more, adding, "Ultimately,
it's got to be expenditure cuts or it's not going to happen."
HOUSE PANEL VOTES MINIMUM WAGE BOOST
The Democratic-controlled House Labor Standards Subcommittee voted
along party lines to increase the minimum wage from $3.35 to $4.65 an
hour during the next three years.
The
6-to-3 vote came after Democrats defeated Republican amendments
designed to water down or kill the measure, which would raise the
minimum wage 50 cents an hour on Jan. 1, 1989, and 40 cents an hour each
of the subsequent years.
AIR FORCE TO REDUCE SPACE WORK THIS YEAR
Budget cuts imposed by Congress will lead to a slowdown in the Air
Force's space launch operations this year and layoffs of as many as 500
contractor employees, the service said yesterday.
The Air Force said the head of its Systems Command sent a message to
his field commanders yesterday informing them of a variety of steps
aimed at coping with a $281 million cut in his operations and
maintenance fund.
General Bernard
Randolph has ordered a slowdown in operations at Vandenberg Air Force
Base and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the service said. That move
will force the contractors who operate the two space bases to trim their
workforces and delay some scheduled launches, the Air Force said.
The command also is offering early retirement to employees, cutting
spending on travel, supplies and maintenance and enforcing a hiring
freeze.
NEW CHIEF NAMED FOR SPACE PLATFORM
James B. Odom has been named to take over the 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration's beleaguered space station program.
Odom, currently director of science and engineering at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, will replace Andrew J. Stofan as associate administrator for space station.
Stofan, an outspoken critic of what he viewed as poor congressional
and White House support for the project, is retiring from NASA effective April 1.
| [Illustration] |
| PHOTO (2); Caption: (1-2) STEVEN SPIELBERG, GEORGE LUCAS / Film makers argued against acceptance of the pact / PHOTOS BY UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL |
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