The following statement is attributed to Gigi B. Sohn, president and co-founder of Public Knowledge:
“We are delighted that the Federal Communications Commission decided unanimously to move ahead with a rulemaking to establish principles of fairness on the Internet.
“It is clear to us that at the end of the proceeding, consumers and innovators will benefit from an open and non-discriminatory Internet. As a result, the economy will benefit in the future, as it did in the past, from the stability of an Internet that grants equal opportunity to all to participate in an open Internet environment.
“We particularly want to commend the members of the FCC for acting on this notice after enduring one of the most brutal assaults on the Commission in recent memory. Even within that environment, there is clear evidence that consensus is evolving. As we have seen from the statements of leading industry representatives in recent days, the differences between our positions are narrowing, a welcome development for all.
“We look forward to working with the Commission in crafting the rules that will establish the rights of users, service providers and network companies to create a growing and thriving online environment. We are concerned about how the Commission addresses the issues surrounding copyright enforcement.
“In particular, we do not believe copyright holders have the right to demand filtering of everyone’s network traffic, which would violate privacy and free speech rights of everyone online. We are also concerned about the definition and operation of managed services. It would be unfortunate if the details of the rules undermined the openness this proceeding promises.”
Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.