The 'next frontier' in the distribution of entertainment content will be the Internet and other new media platforms that require the use of broadband networks. Already, original content is being reused on the internet. Most industry experts expect this trend to continue and for the amount of original, made-for-new-media content to grow exponentially.
Writers are at the forefront of creating and distributing original content for the web. But we need an open Internet that will not hinder these efforts. The open Internet relies on the concept of 'net neutrality' - meaning that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as phone and cable companies should not have the ability to block, curtail, or discriminate against legal content on the web in any form. But the ISPs have been caught doing just that. Here are a few examples:
| • In October 2007, the Associated Press busted Comcast for blocking its users' access to peer-to-peer file-sharing networks like BitTorrent and Gnutella. This fraudulent practice is a glaring violation of Net Neutrality.
• In September 2007, Verizon was caught banning pro-choice text messages. After a New York Times expose, the phone company reversed its policy, claiming it was a glitch.
• In August 2007, AT&T censored a live webcast of a Pearl Jam concert just as lead singer Eddie Vedder criticized President Bush.
• In 2006, Time Warner's AOL blocked all emails that mentioned www.dearaol.com -- an advocacy campaign opposing the company's pay-to-send e-mail scheme.
[source: www.savetheinternet.com] |
“Recent efforts to pass legislation guaranteeing an open Internet have failed, yet the issue continues to build support. There are two bills in Congress that would formalize 'net neutrality' as the law of the United States and would prevent Internet Service Providers from blocking or discriminating against access to legal content.”
To learn more about the fight for Internet Freedom, check out the following sites:
 
RELATED LINKS
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WGAW President, Patric Verrone, talks with C-SPAN about net neutrality, among other items of concern to working writers in the entertainment industry.  Watch video |
WGAW member, Steven Peterman, the executive producer of Hannah Montana, testifies before the United States House of Representatives about the need for securing Internet Neutrality as the law of the United States. Read more
In this OP-ED in the Anchorage Daily News, WGAW member Dave Hunsaker explains why net neutrality is critical for writers in the entertainment industry. Read more.
Net neutrality: Why you should give a damn (Rocky Mountain News)
Documents:
“The Next Gen: Don't Look Back by the Telecommunications Industry is in Pursuit.” (.pdf)
Written by WGAW member Steve Peterman, the article connects the ongoing consolidation of media and the lack of independent production, to the struggle to protect the Internet as an open forum and marketplace for content and ideas.
In April 2008, WGAW President Patric Verrone testified before the U.S Senate Commerce Committee regarding why Internet Freedom affects writers (.pdf)
Bills in Congress:
H.R. 5353 - The Internet Freedom and Preservation Act of 2008
Senate Bill 215 - The Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008
FCC Filings:
WGAW Reply Comments to the FCC's Notice of Inquiry regarding broadband reclassification - August 12, 2010 (.pdf)
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