The complicated debate over net neutrality continues this week, thanks to a pro-neutrality filing by A2IM.  Group president Rich Bengloff has been stumping for neutrality for some time, though the group just filed its support paperwork with the FCC.  “In an increasingly networked, digital world, the internet represents a crucial marketplace, and when able to compete on fair terms, independent music thrives,” the group relayed Monday afternoon.

This is the first official filing by the independent label organization, though Bengloff has rifled off open letters to the Obama administration and the FCC, among other support activities.

On its face, the issue of net neutrality seems fairly straightforward.  After all, who wouldn’t want equal access to content from every site, big or small?  And, on the net right now, users enjoy that very privilege, including the ability to consume music from bands of every size, style, and genre.

So what’s the issue?  That is exactly what ISPs are asking, raising the issue of why governmental oversight is needed at this juncture.  Perhaps government involvement is redundant, or worse, meddling and expensive.  It may also make certain bandwidth management chores difficult, and ultimately slow the net.  But neutrality proponents fear a world where a handful of ISPs can effectively handpick their favorites, including their own horses.

Openness is what the internet was designed for, though on the music side, the open internet has been a mixed blessing.  Fans currently enjoy the greatest levels of access and connectivity, though the beast is incredibly difficult to monetize.  Still, A2IM prefers the wilds of openness.  “Despite the many unresolved questions surrounding the protection of intellectual property online, we remain optimistic that open internet structures are our best means through which to do business, reach listeners and innovate in the digital realm,” Bengloff noted.

Tags: FCC, Federal Communication Commission, Intellectual property, Internet service provider, Network neutrality, Programming

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 2:48 pm and is filed under Legal, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.