NBC [recently filed comments][1] for the FCC recommending that ISPs be required to screen all the traffic passing over their network for copyright infringement. The social and economic costs of such a system would be enormous, and that's on top of the concerns of technical feasibility!
Last week, FreeCulture.org signed a response statement along with [Consumer Federation of America][2], [EDUCAUSE][3], [Electronic Frontier Foundation][4], [Electronic Privacy Information Center][5], [Free Press][6], [Knowledge Ecology International][7], [Media Access Project][8], [New America Foundation][9], [][10][Public Knowledge][10], and [U.S. Public Interest Research Group][11]. > NBC Universal (“NBC”) has asked the Commission to require that broadband providers “use readily available means to prevent the use of their broadband networks to transfer pirated content.” While we agree that there are appropriate ways to discourage copyright infringement on the Internet, NBC’s call to require that broadband providers use “bandwidth management tools” to effect this end is misguided. Any attempt to use this technology to control what may be done on the Internet will have serious unintended consequences. Particularly, these technologies limit First Amendment freedoms, stifle innovation, threaten personal privacy, and do little to address the underlying problem. Additionally, NBC’s proposal invites the FCC to exceed its jurisdiction. You can read the full comments [on Public Knowledge's site][12] or [as a PDF][13]. Also check out [NBC's original comments][14] (PDF link) for a good laugh, and [Public Knowledge's coverage and commentary][15]. [1]: http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9730338-7.html [2]: http://www.consumerfed.org/ [3]: http://www.educause.edu/ [4]: http://www.eff.org/ [5]: http://www.epic.org/ [6]: http://www.freepress.net/ [7]: http://www.keionline.org/ [8]: http://www.mediaaccess.org/ [9]: http://www.newamerica.net/ [10]: http://publicknowledge.org/ [11]: http://www.uspirg.org/ [12]: http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/1093 [13]: http://www.publicknowledge.org/pdf/pk-etal- fcc-07-52-20070716.pdf [14]: http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=p df&id_document=6519528962 [15]: http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/1096 URL: http://freeculture.org/blog/2007/07/23/fcorg-signs-reply-to-stop-all-piracy-proposal-by-nbc/ _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list [email protected] http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss
