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Net Neutrality 9-13-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

Net Neutrality and the DMCA

. . . Buried deep within the legalese and copyright mumbo jumbo of the DMCA is a single but little read clause that could, in theory, have a dramatic impact on the net neutrality fight, especially if net neutrality never passes.

[ . . .]

When the DMCA [Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998] (PDF) became law in 1998, telecoms breathed a sigh of relief. After years of uncertainty, it was revealed that they could not be held liable for any copyright infringement that passed through their network. As a “transitory communications” provider, all they had to do was meet a few simple requirements and they never had to worry about being held accountable.

However, it’s one of those requirements that may now prove to be a sticking point. The second requirement for a “transitory communications” provider reads as follows (emphasis added):

“The transmission, routing, provision of connections, or copying must be carried out by an automatic technical process without selection of material by the service provider.”

In short, the DMCA gave telecoms a pass on copyright infringement suits so long as they didn’t make any selection of the content that passed through their service. As long as telecoms are blindly routing requested content to its end destination, they could not be held accountable for that material.

However, the minute they start intelligently discriminating one type of material from another, their situation becomes in doubt. They no longer meet the qualifications of “transitory communications” provider and now have no clear status under the DMCA.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

Net Neutrality 9-12-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

Amazon exec: net neutrality necessary because of “little choice” for consumers

In an interview [with ECT News] Amazon VP of Global Public Policy Paul Misener reinforces one of the reasons why we need net neutrality: our (lack of) choice when it comes to broadband. . . .

[ . . .]

By the FCC’s reckoning, that means I have broadband choice here on the northwest side of Chicago. Well, sort of. For cable, my sole choice is Comcast-and that’s what I use, with few service complaints. On the other hand, DSL is not an option for me because of the lousy infrastructure in my over 80-year-old neighborhood and my distance from the DSLAM. Broadband over power lines? Not yet. Citywide WiFi network? A gleam in Mayor Daley’s eye. WiMAX? Some day, maybe. Broadband choice? Not in any coherent sense of the word.

In Misener’s opinion, the lack of choice means net neutrality is a must because if an ISP decides to begin prioritizing certain traffic, consumers don’t have a meaningful alternative.

“[U]ltimately what can they do besides complain? Consumers have little choice when it comes to high speed Internet. If they had more choices of providers, this wouldn’t be such a dangerous situation.”

There are a number of other arguments for net neutrality, including the possibility of ISPs clamping down on traffic that they find objectionable. Misener outlines one such scenario involving a striking union and points out that while such scenarios may seem far fetched, there are no laws in place to prevent it from happening.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

The 5 Step Strategy that Saved a Company Can Also Get You to Your Dream

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The Value of a Strategic Plan

Strategic Plans logo

In June of 1995, I joined a $9Million company that was losing 10% per year. I was part of team that was determined to turn it around. My job was to write the strategic plan. In July or 1998, we sold that company for $35Million.

We did that because of a 5 step strategy.

The same strategy can work in almost any situation of your business, career, even your life.

[Read more…]

Net Neutrality 9-11-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

Net neutrality meets election-year reality Bill is stalling in Senate; telecom firms push for video [via freepress]

Although both sides continue to press lawmakers to act, most observers say Congress is too preoccupied with pre-election politics to tackle this complex issue before Sept. 29, when senators are expected to recess.

“Conventional wisdom is that the issue will simply sit there,” said Christopher Putala, executive vice president with EarthLink, a pro-neutrality Internet company.

[. . . ]

The dispute over Internet pricing, complicated enough in its own right, is joined to a separate issue — injecting more competition into the paid television market by giving phone companies what amounts to a nationwide franchise to deliver shows through their wires.

The bill that is stalled in Congress, therefore, is really designed to promote what proponents call video choice. It would pave the way for phone companies to compete with cable and satellite vendors by using their wire networks to pipe TV into homes.

The net neutrality proposals being pushed by the Internet coalition are contained in amendment to that video choice bill.

[. . . ]

But Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., put a hold on that bill — a maneuver that effectively requires 60 votes to lift — and Congress went into its summer recess leaving these twin issues of video choice and net neutrality awaiting a vote before the full Senate.

Now, most political insiders say it doesn’t look like proponents of video choice have the 60 votes they need to lift Wyden’s hold — and a Wyden staffer said he has no intention of lifting it unless he gets tough net neutrality language — making it unlikely that the full Senate will take any action soon.

[. . . there is more between after]

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

BusinessWeek Special Report: Best Places to Launch a Career

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Special Edition for Job Seekers

Know a college grad, a job seeker, just want to know what’s happening — it’s all here. This isn’t an article. It’s a whole magazine!

Great Find: BusinessWeek Special Report on Best Places to Launch a Career

Permalink: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/toc/06_38/B40010638bplc.htm?campaign_id=nws_insdr_sep8&link_position=link1

Audience/Topic: Anyone who is or knows anyone interested in the world of work

Content: BusinessWeekonline has put together an amazing resource of 15 articles for job seekers. The topics are timely, relevant, and varied. The writing is crisp and compelling. I’ll save you a second or two by putting the entire link list here, rather than just the title.

BusinessWeek Special Report on Best Places to Launch a Career

Two slide shows are only available at the site:

  • Online Extra: Slide Show: Today’s CEOs: Then and Now
  • Online Extra: Slide Show: Launch Pads

Enjoy the resource and pass it on to all who need it.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Net Neutrality 9-10-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

Qwest CEO Speaks Out Against Net Neutrality

Dick Notebaert, the CEO of Qwest Communications, made claims last week that the concept of net neutrality is “really silly,” and could ultimately stifle competition and cost customers more.

“Competition is good, makes us better and makes us more creative,” the CEO commented. “That’s why when they talk about net neutrality, bad idea. Really silly. What we’re talking about has no basis in anything. It’s a nice move to make the consumer pay for everything.”

Notebaert went on to say that passing net neutrality legislation would be like telling FedEx that it can’t offer overnight service is UPS doesn’t.

In making this childish comparison, however, he’s avoiding the central issue under question. Internet service providers are free to cater to the needs of different subscribers by offering faster and more expensive packages to some customers than others. . . .

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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NET NEUTRALITY PAGE