The following statement is from Gigi B. Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, on the Grokster decision today:

For Immediate Release

The following statement is from Gigi B. Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, on the NCTA v BrandX Internet decision today:

The Court's decision today in the Brand X case raises the question of whether Congress, in tackling its next revision of the Telecommunications Act, should act to ensure that communications, content, and applications are allowed to pass freely over the Internet's broadband pipes. We believe Congress should do so, because 'net neutrality' is a worthy goal that not only will promote free speech and creativity on the Internet, but also will benefit those who provide broadband connectivity by making that connectivity more valuable.

For Immediate Release

Public Knowledge, the Washington D.C.-based advocacy group, told senior legislators that Congress should set a deadline for having broadcasters return spectrum now being used for "analog" television broadcasts.

In a letter sent to the leaders of the House and Senate Commerce Committees, and the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, Public Knowledge President Gigi B. Sohn wrote that, "Completing the transition to digital television is vitally important for the economic and social well being of this country."

For Immediate Release

Background: The U.S. Appeals Court for the D.C. Circuit this morning struck down the Federal Communications Commission's rule instituting the "broadcast flag." The flag is a digital marker sent through over-the-air digital TV signals setting conditions on how the program may be used after it's received. The marker signals "compliant" devices to limit or prevent copying, as well as to block transfer to noncompliant devices; the regulation also would have required all TV-handling consumer electronics devices sold after July 1, 2005 to be compliant.

The unanimous decision in the case (No. 04-1037) found the FCC had exceeded its authority in approving the flag, saying in part: "In the seven decades of its existence, the FCC has never before asserted such sweeping authority." The text of the case may be seen here:
http://pacer.cadc.uscourts.gov/docs/common/opinions/200505/04-1037b.pdf.

The case was brought by Public Knowledge, Consumers Union, Consumer Federation of America, Electronic Frontier Foundation, American Library Association, American Association of Law Libraries, Association of Research Libraries, Medical Library Association, and the Special Libraries Association.

For Immediate Release

Background: Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt today announced his department's policy on open-access publishing of government-funded research. The policy requests the authors of scientific papers to make their work available for free, online as soon as possible and within 12 months of the official date of publication.

Statement of Peter Suber, director of Public Knowledge's Open Access Project: