House GOP Kicks Tech on Net Neutrality


WASHINGTON — If the House Republicans’ latest stab at telecom
reform is any indication, net neutrality is dead.


Of course, it may never have been alive since the telephone and cable
companies told Congress it was never an issue, a solution in search of a
problem.


Nevertheless, House Republicans gave at least lip service to net neutrality,
tossing it to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) if there are any
disputes over the issue, but not before de-fanging the FCC of any power to
enforce net neutrality.


That, apparently, was still not good enough for the cable industry.


“While recognizing that the House bill has a net neutrality provision
narrowly tailored to the FCC policy statement issued in 2005, we continue to
believe that the better course is for the government to resist injecting
itself into a thriving, dynamic market where investment and innovation are
flourishing,” Kyle McSlarrow, president and CEO of the National Cable &
Telecommunications Association, said in a statement.


Big Tech Objects: Having been ignored by the House Energy and
Commerce Committee over net neutrality, eBay, Amazon, Microsoft, Yahoo and
Google rushed a letter to the committee complaining that the proposed
legislation, “would allow for such a fundamental change in the paradigm of
the Internet that it would frustrate the reasonable expectations of the tens
of millions of Americans who go online.”


The companies said the bill falls “well short of what is needed to ensure
that consumers and content providers can rely on the Internet as an engine
of growth and innovation.”


Big Tech and consumer and advocacy groups have been singing this song for
more than a year now. Apparently, few in Congress are listening.


Just What Washington Needs: There’s a new tech think tank in town —
the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), co-chaired by
former House members Jennifer Dunn of Washington and Calvin Dooley of
California.


Dooley said the ITIF “will fill a gap in the tech policy debate. With so
many important technology issues being debated at the state and federal
level, there is a real need for an independent and thoughtful voice. Our
goal is to approach technology policy debates with reasoned and expert
analysis that supports long-term innovation.”


Perhaps Dunn and Dooley can get cranking on net neutrality.


“Could have and should have done a better job.” … No Kidding: After only
three days and six postings, conservative Washington Post
blogger, Ben Domenech, has resigned amid allegations of plagiarism. Fellow
bloggers quickly discovered Domenech, 24, had lifted significant portions of
his work from others.


Post officials admitted they “could have and should have” done a better job
vetting for the choice spot.


Sued? Unhappy? www.aclu.org: Exodus
International, a Christian group promoting heterosexuality, has dropped its
complaints against a blogger who parodied the group’s billboards.


The Exodus billboard states: “Gay? Unhappy? www.exodus.to.”


Blogger Justin Watt’s take: “Straight? Unhappy? www.gay.com.”


Exodus originally complained that Watt infringed on its copyright and Watt,
a North Carolina Web developer, turned to the American Civil Liberties
Union. Exodus dropped the matter.


FTC Says Let the Online Wine Flow: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
is throwing its weight behind an Ohio proposal to allow the direct shipment
of wine from online vintners to Ohio consumers from either inside or outside
the state.


The bill is designed to bring Ohio laws into compliance with last year’s
Supreme Court decision that
states cannot prohibit their citizens from buying wine from either in-state
or out-of-state Web sites.


“Consumers benefit from the increased competition that direct shipping
provides,” Maureen Ohlhausen, director of the FTC’s Office of Policy
Planning, said in a statement. “This bill would give Ohio wine consumers
greater choices and lower prices.”


(Roy Mark is the Washington Editor of internetnews.com)

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