By Davey D
In my June 15 column on Tupac Shakur’s legacy, I mentioned
sweeping changes that soon could transform the Internet. That’s because
of congressional action on the disingenuously named Communications
Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act, or COPE, which is backed by
large telecommunications companies such as Verizon, AT&T and
Comcast.
This bill, which passed in the House and is awaiting action in the
Senate, would end what is known as “Net neutrality,” by which all
sites are equally accessible to users.
Broadband operators have been prevented from charging a fee to
prioritize content and services, and the little guy with something to
say on a blog has been able to compete with a giant news outlet because
he is just as accessible. COPE would replace Net neutrality with a two-
or three-tier system in which broadband operators could charge to
prioritize content and services for willing customers. Those who don’t
pay for the service would become less accessible over their systems.
Earlier this month, the House approved COPE by a 321-101 vote.
If the legislation becomes law, the multitiered system could have a
devastating effect on the independent hip-hop scene that has emerged
over the past few years, with the Bay Area and Houston leading the way.
To the chagrin of major record labels, the Internet has been a boon to
independent artists who publicize and distribute their songs and videos
with little cost while retaining the revenue previously siphoned by the
record labels for distribution services. The Internet largely leveled
the playing field and eliminated the middle men.
Bay Area acts such as Hieroglyphics and Living Legends have done extremely well selling music and merchandise on the Internet, and they have used it to launch 40- and 50-city tours. Keak Da Sneak, Mistah FAB and others have garnered large international fan bases through innovative use of Web sites such as Myspace.com.
Local filmmakers and TV producers such as Sean Kennedy of Ill Trendz Productions have made names for themselves on the Net. Adisa Banjoko and
other Bay Area authors have self-published and distributed their work
via the Internet, while organizations like the Hip Hop Congress, led by
San Jose’s Shamako Noble, established a national presence using the Web.
On the horizon is technology for increasing Web speeds up to a
thousand times over today’s and allowing wide delivery of rich media.
Telecom companies have spent millions of dollars trying to persuade
Congress that COPE is necessary so they can do the R&D needed to
improve the Internet. Many others, however, argue the technology for
super-fast Internet speeds already exists.
According to Scott Goodstein of SavetheInternet.com and
Punkvoter.com, 15 countries are far ahead of the United States. In
France, Web access priced at $6 per month is currently 25 times faster
than top download speeds in this country, where prices average $30 a
month. Some Asian countries are reportedly on the verge of introducing
speeds hundreds of times faster.
Goodstein reminds us that telecom giants, which did not develop the
Internet, nonetheless have received millions of taxpayer dollars to
provide universal broadband access, but have yet to deliver. He
describes the recent lobbying efforts to stir up support for COPE as a
money grab on their behalf, plain and simple.
If the legislation goes into effect, independent artists, bloggers,
activists and journalists may find themselves priced out of the kind of
Internet service they have enjoyed so far.
Sen. Barbara Boxer has come out in favor of Net neutrality, while Sen. Dianne Feinstein has not announced a position, saying she wants to hear more from constituents.
I encourage everyone to call their offices, because COPE supporters
are pulling out all stops to usher in their corporatist version of the
Net. Both artists and hip-hop fans stand to lose the freedom they now
enjoy.
An easy way to reach your senator is by going to www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm.
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Source:
Mercury News
DaveyD.com</p>
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