"The Incredible Shrinking Media: Who has my Internet?" was the title of the Fall Conference 2006 (to be at Yale).  For one reason or another, it did not take place.  Was it lack of interewst in the "Net Neutrality" issue?  Or the conceit that a Democratic Congressional victory automatically meant no more threat to Net Neutrality?

M E D I A   I N   T H E    2 1 st   C E N T U R Y
"E-Democracy:  A 21st Century Citizen's Right to Know and Participate"
Fall Conference 2007 at the Capitol - for a summary report click here.  WATCH IT AGAIN HERE!

 Cable or DSL:
http://www.lwvweston.org/LWVCT12-1-07CableVersion.wmv

Dial Up:
http://www.lwvweston.org/LWVCT12-1-07ModemVersion.wmv


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2007
WWW.USDOJ.GOV

Statement from the Department of Justice (in part) below - press release in full here:  http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/September/07_at_682.html

"...The Department also noted that differentiating service levels and pricing is a common and often efficient way of allocating scarce resources and satisfying consumer demand. The U.S. Postal Service, for example, allows consumers to send packages with a variety of different delivery guarantees and speeds, from bulk mail to overnight delivery. These differentiated services respond to market demand and expand consumer choice.

'No one challenges the benefits to society of these differentiated products,' the Department stated in its filing. 'Whether or not the same type of differentiated products and services will develop on the Internet should be determined by market forces, not regulatory intervention.' Despite the FCC’s call for specific information on harmful broadband activities, the Department noted that comments filed in response to this Notice of Inquiry did not provide evidence that would suggest the existence of a widespread problem that needs to be addressed. In addition, there is no consensus on what 'net neutrality' means or what should be prohibited in the name of 'neutrality.'

'Even assuming that a potential danger exists, the ambiguity of what conduct needs to be prohibited raises a real possibility that regulation would prohibit some conduct that is beneficial, while failing to stop other conduct that may be harmful,' the Department stated.

'The FCC should be highly skeptical of calls to substitute special economic regulation of the Internet for free and open competition enforced by the antitrust laws,' the Department said in its filing. 'Marketplace restrictions proposed by some proponents of ‘net neutrality’ could in fact prevent, rather than promote, optimal investment and innovation in the Internet, with significant negative effects for the economy and consumers.'

While cautioning against premature regulation of the Internet, the Department noted its authority to enforce the antitrust laws. 'Anticompetitive conduct about which the proponents of regulation are concerned will remain subject to the antitrust laws and enforcement actions by government as well as private plaintiffs, and the Department will continue to monitor developments, taking enforcement action where appropriate to ensure a competitive broadband Internet access market,'
the Department stated.

A copy of the filing is available from the Department of Justice on the Antitrust Division’s web site: http://www.usdoj.gov/atr. Paper copies of the filing are also available from the Justice Department’s Antitrust Documents Group, which can be contacted by telephone at 202-514-2481, by fax at 202-514-3763, or by e-mail at atrdoc.grp@usdoj.gov."

 


This matter continues...see article from March 2007 here!

2005 Fall Conference - Civil Liberties:  Balancing Liberty and Security
Saturday, November 19, 2005, 9am-12noon
Old Judiciary Room, at the Capitol
Hartford, Connecticut
Was broadcast on Cablevision Channel 77 in South Western CT for three weeks...DVD to be available as well - for information about this new prospect, e-mail webmaster@lwvweston.org

NOTE:  Speakers were:

National Public Radio audiotaped this program for play around Thanksgiving...we understand the voice-only version played on their website November 23rd. The NPR reporter took still photos of the League event.  Go to LWVof Weston's "Patriot Act" page for NPR direct links.