Internet and Copyright Issues

The emergence of the Internet and the World Wide Web brought upon a medium of communication with a range of opportunities to the world. However, this medium is, in due course, subject to the control of a few major companies. The enigma of expression and free speech on the internet is the central concern of the debated concept of network neutrality. Net neutrality is the idea of equal access to information for users and the concept pertaining ISP’s and their control over access to content (Weitzner 78). The packages provide a visualized concept of ISP content control in the debate of network neutrality. Tim-Berners Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, states the definition of net neutrality, “If [person A] uses to pay to connect to the net with a given quality of service and [person B] pays to connect to the net with the same, or a higher quality, of service, then [persons A and B] can communicate across the internet with that quality of service” (Tim Berners-Lee). There are several fundamental issues that are debated which will be elucidated throughout this paper. The question of network neutrality legislation plays a major role on the matters relating to equality between websites, protection of competition, benefits for consumers and network owners (ISP), whether regulation is a good idea and the legal arguments that surround the concept. The relationships between these topics will clarify and distinguish between the opposing sides of network neutrality.

CONSUMERS

The internet came to be because of the user. Without the user, there is no World Wide Web. It is a set of links and words all created by a group of users, a forum or a community (Weinberger 96). The consumer has been the ultimate decision maker in the proces...

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...Internet access into official regulation. In addition to making sure that network operators cannot prevent users from accessing lawful Internet content, applications, and services of their choice, or attaching unharmful devices to the network, Genachowski wants to add two more rules. The first would prevent Internet access providers from discriminating against particular Internet content or applications, while allowing for reasonable network management. The second principle would ensure that Internet access providers are transparent about the network management practices they implement” (Reardon CNet)

Proponents argue this would only regulate the service providers, not the internet while opponents claim that since the internet has been successful without the government regulations and it would only “limit the innovative business and pricing models” (Singer 41).