[IP] A note on Next week's vote at the FCC (I will post other points of

For IP, if you wish.

"david" == David Farber <dave@farber.net> writes:

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Gross, David" Date: October 15, 2009 8:02:06 AM PDT To:

dave@farber.net Subject: A New Post

However, if the US government creates a set of rules and

regulations that will govern the relationship among those

providing Internet facilities and services to advance US

government policies – even for good purposes such as promoting

the free flow of information -- then there may be virtually no

basis for the United States to object to other governments also

creating new rules governing the Internet. Presumably this

would include not only issues about Internet content, but also

about Internet facilities and the economic relationships among

Internet service providers. It is easy to understand that these

other governments will seek to design rules to help their

domestic companies at the expense of international and American

companies as well as at the cost of the economically efficient

design of the Internet. Ironically they are also likely to use

the establishment of new US rules regulating the Internet to

impose their own restrictions on Internet content – especially

focusing on restricting the free flow of information so as to

promote their own interests in enhancing Chinese "social

cohesion" or other countries that seek to "defend against

religious defamation".

Countries throughout the world are already able (and sometimes keen)
to "regulate the Internet", which in practice means regulating the
behaviour of their citizens that is based on, or uses, the Internet.

This includes "restrictions on Internet content".

One may argue over the merits of such regulations and even whether, in
practical terms, these regulations work at all. But it is entirely in
the remit of sovereign states to do so; furthermore, it is already
taking place throughout the world; and last, but not least, judging
From the Antigua v USA case at the WTO, the USA has already engaged in
some form of content regulation.

The decision of the FCC may or may not influence the behaviour of
other countries, but most certainly will not be an excuse for them to
start doing it, as it seems to have been suggested.

My private opinion only.

Best,

--
     Andrea Glorioso || http://people.digitalpolicy.it/sama/cv/
         M: +32-488-409-055         F: +39-051-930-31-133
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  David J. Brewer (1893)
      An Independent Judiciary as the Salvation of the Nation

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