Press

Public Knowledge Praises Time Warner Pricing Model

January 17, 2008

Background: Time Warner announced today it would start testing a new pricing model based on customer usage, rather than on a flat rate.

The following statement is attributed to Gigi B. Sohn, president of Public Knowledge:

"Time Warner's pricing test could be a welcome development for consumers and for the cable industry. Consumers will have a better idea of how they are using their Internet connections and will have the flexibility to adjust according to the rates. Cable companies could be able to better manage their networks and costs, so they won't have to resort to cutting off customers for exceeding phantom usage levels or throttling some applications.

"At the same time, we don't want to see this type of plan used as an excuse to raise prices for all consumers. It should be targeted to the heaviest users."

FCC Starts Triple Investigation of Carrier Internet Practices

January 14, 2008

Issues: 
Network Neutrality

The Federal Communications Commission this evening formally began to examine three controversial practices of telecommunications carriers. It issued notices asking for comment on:

  1. The petition by Public Knowledge, Free Press and others asking that text messaging and short codes are subject to the Commission's non-discrimination rules. Comments are due Feb. 13, 2008 with replies due March 14, 2008. This is docket WT 08-7. The petition was spurred by Verizon's initial failure to supply NARAL Pro Choice America with short codes to allow the organization to send text messages to its members. The FCC notice is here.

Wireless Phone Announcements Don't Ensure Openness, Groups Tell FCC

December 21, 2007

Issues: 
Network Neutrality

Recent statements by wireless phone companies and software developers that the cell phone industry is becoming more open are no reason for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to dismiss a petition asking that consumers have the right to use whatever cell phone they wish, a coalition of consumer and public-interest groups has told the FCC.

Public Knowledge Challenges Copyright Enforcement Legislation

December 13, 2007

Issues: 
Copyright

Public Knowledge President Gigi B. Sohn said today in Congressional testimony that new copyright enforcement legislation (HR 4279) could harm consumers and innovators while not creating an effective deterrent to copyright violations.

In testimony to the House Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property, Sohn said she agreed that while "enforcing IP laws is essential to encouraging creativity, certain parts of the bill could undermine this goal."

Overall, Sohn said she wanted to challenge the assumption on which efforts to improve enforcement of intellectual property laws are built - that "ever-higher penalties will somehow create a deterrent effect currently absent in today's laws." She told the Subcommittee that "of all the changes that need to be made to IP law, increasing the severity of the penalties is one of the least necessary, and quite possibly, the most counterproductive."

Groups Tell FCC To Protect Text Messaging from Telephone Company Abuse

December 11, 2007

Eight public interest groups, led by Public Knowledge, today told the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that telephone companies should not have the legal ability to interfere with text messages.

"For many people, texting has replaced calling as a way of keeping in touch," said Gigi B. Sohn, president and co-founder of Public Knowledge. "The FCC should make certain that text messages, and the short codes used to dial them, are protected from interference from telephone companies."

Public Knowledge Comment On Copyright Enforcement Bill

December 06, 2007

Issues: 
Copyright

Background: House Judiciary Committee John Conyers (D-MI) and Intellectual Property Subcommittee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA) introduced legislation to change the penalties for copyright violations. The statement is attributed to Gigi B. Sohn, president and co-founder of Public Knowledge.

“We remain concerned that several provisions in this bill could have harmful, if unintended, consequences that would harm consumers. The bill rightly targets enforcement of copyright law against commercial infringers, but some of these same enforcement provisions are likely to hurt ordinary consumers. Seizing expensive manufacturing equipment used for large-scale infringement from a commercial pirate may be appropriate. Seizing a family’s general-purpose computer in a download case, as this bill would allow, is not appropriate.

Public Knowledge Congratulates RIAA and MPAA on Magazine Accolade

December 04, 2007

Issues: 
Copyright

Public Knowledge President and co-founder Gigi B. Sohn today congratulated the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) on being named to PC World’s list of “Most Anti-Tech Organizations in America.”

According to the magazine: “The Internet economy should be a boon for digital media companies and for those of us that like to buy our music and video online. It's also a very powerful way to connect with people of like mind with a view toward learning about new things to watch and listen to. Unfortunately, the content owners in the record and movie industries have mainly seen the Web as a platform for piracy, and have mainly failed to adapt their businesses to the realities of online, as one lonely industry executive recently admitted.”

Public Knowledge 'Cautiously Optimistic' About Verizon Wireless Open Network Plan

November 27, 2007

Issues: 
Network Neutrality

Background: Earlier today, Verizon Wireless announced a plan to open their networks to other devices and applications. The announcement is here.

The following statement is attributed to Gigi B. Sohn, president and co-founder of Public Knowledge:

Public Knowledge Supports Vuze FCC Petition To Ban Internet Discrimination

November 15, 2007

Issues: 
Network Neutrality

Background: Late yesterday (Nov. 14), Vuze, a Palo Alto-based company that uses BitTorrent to distribute video content, filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission asking for rules to prevent telephone and cable companies from blocking, degrading or unreasonably discriminating against legal Internet applications.

Public Knowledge Praises Passage of Broadband Mapping Legislation

November 13, 2007

The House this afternoon passed on voice vote legislation (HR 3919) that would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to update collection of data on the deployment of high-speed Internet services.

The following statement is attributed to Gigi B. Sohn, president and co-founder of Public Knowledge: "This bill is a vital building block to a more informed broadband policy. The FCC for too long has used antiquated measurements to give an unrealistic picture of which areas have access to needed broadband services and which do not. We commend Chairman Markey and his colleagues for their leadership."