There have been other net neutrality-related happenings, too.
On April 16, FMC co-founder and General Counsel Walter McDonough was part of a net neutrality panel at Montréal’s annual ADISQ conference - a non-profit organization that deals with the Québec music industry.
FMC Executive Director Ann Chaitovitz recently submitted an opinion piece to Billboard that looks at the issue of net neutrality from a creator’s perspective. In it, Ann explains how the open internet is absolutely necessary for creativity and commerce to flourish online. The article appeared in the May 24, 2008 print edition of the magazine, but we’ve also posted it on our blog.
On May 24, Baltimore-area singer-songwriter Jordan Page played a packed show at the Ram’s Head in Baltimore in support of FMC’s Rock the Net campaign. Jordan is no stranger to media activism — he also blogs for our friends at Free Press. As an independent musician who depends on the web to do business and spread his message of positive social change, Jordan understands that an open internet is crucial to making connections. We’re glad he’s doing his part to spread the word about such an important issue.
Jordan Page
You can also make your next gig a Rock the Net event. Contact FMC Communications Director Casey Rae-Hunter at casey [at] futureofmusic [dot] org to find out how. Visit www.futureofmusic.org/rockthenet/ to sign up for the campaign and log your shows.
Avant-hip-hop mastermind DJ Spooky (who appears on our upcoming Rock the Net CD) will be showcasing Rock the Net materials at an upcoming music festival in New York City. The 5th anual Loving Day event celebrates the 41st anniversary of Loving v. Virginia - the Supreme Court case that legalized interracial relationships in the United States. The free, all-ages event takes place from 3PM-7PM at Solar 1: East River Waterfront at East 23rd St. in Manhattan, NYC. Click here for a list of all the Loving Day celebrations, with info on how to RSVP to the NYC event.
Check out this CMJ article about net neutrality that features Spooky and FMC’s Policy Director Michael Bracy.
On the policy front, there was new net neutrality legislation introduced in the House Judiciary Committee (OK Go’s Damian Kulash restified on the issue before the same committee on March 11, 2008). Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (R-CA) introduced the “Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act of 2008,” which aims to remedy anti-competitive and discriminatory practices by broadband service providers. It joins pending legislation in the House Energy and Commerce Committee that sets broad guidelines for protecting the open internet, and compels the FCC to hold hearings, gather public opinion and report its findings back to Congress. Read our recent blog post to learn about the differences between these two bills.
FMC blog post on net neutrality legislation