For Immediate Release
Background: This afternoon, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) introduced the Internet Freedom Preservation Act. The following is a statement from Gigi B. Sohn, president and co-founder of Public Knowledge.
“The legislation from Senator Snowe and Senator Dorgan will make certain that issue of Internet freedom will be front and center as the Senate Commerce Committee debates and reshapes its important telecommunications legislation. We also would like to commend the original cosponsors, Commerce Co-chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI), and Democratic Senators Barbara Boxer (CA), a member of the Commerce Committee, as well as Ron Wyden (OR), Patrick Leahy (VT), Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY) and Barack Obama (IL).
“This legislation would preserve the open, innovative and creative Internet, much as program access rules created new competition in video programming through targeted provisions without the heavy hand of government regulation.
“As the Gun Owners of America and the Christian Coalition have recognized, the Internet benefits everyone. There is no reason this should be a partisan issue. It is a shame that Senators from the Republican party did not feel they were able to support this legislation, which brings the issue of Internet Freedom and non-discrimination squarely into the Senate debate.”
A copy of the bill is available at:
http://www.publicknowledge.org/pdf/snowe-dorgan-20060519.pdf
Contact Info
Art Brodsky
Communications Director
Public Knowledge
abrodsky@publicknowledge.org
office: (202) 518-0020 x103
cell: (301) 908-7715
###
Public Knowledge is a public-interest advocacy and education organization that seeks to promote a balanced approach to intellectual property law and technology policy that reflects the “cultural bargain” intended by the framers of the constitution.
More information available at:
http://www.publicknowledge.org
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.