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View Full Version : Federal Court - FCC cannot regulate Net neutrality


applecorped
6th April 2010, 05:54 PM
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20001825-38.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

"A three-judge panel in Washington, D.C. unanimously tossed out the FCC's August 2008 cease and desist order (http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10004508-38.html) against Comcast, which had taken measures to slow BitTorrent transfers before voluntarily ending them (http://news.cnet.com/Comcast,-BitTorrent-bury-the-hatchet/2009-1032_3-6235815.html) earlier that year.


Because the FCC "has failed to tie its assertion" of regulatory authority to an actual law enacted by Congress, the agency does not have the power to regulate an Internet provider's network management practices, wrote Judge David Tatel (http://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/home.nsf/content/VL+-+Judges+-+DST) of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
Tuesday's decision could doom one of the signature initiatives of FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, a Democrat. Last October, Genachowski announced plans (http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-10381355-266.html) to begin drafting a formal set of Net neutrality rules--even though Congress has not given the agency permission to do so. That push is opposed by Verizon (http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-10379932-266.html) and other broadband providers.
Comcast welcomed the ruling in a statement that said: "Our primary goal was always to clear our name and reputation." The National Cable and Telecommunications Association, the cable industry's lobby group, elaborated by saying that Comcast and its other members will "continue to embrace a free and open Internet as the right policy."







:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Ducky
6th April 2010, 07:18 PM
EFF article here:

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/04/court-rejects-fcc-authority-over-internet

So while we are big supporters of net neutrality, we are glad that today's ruling has reasserted the important limits on the FCC's authority to regulate the Internet.

Gangularis
6th April 2010, 10:02 PM
Wow... surprised more haven't commented on this. this was a big headline for part of the day... C'mon skeptics, respond! I need to know how to feel about this!

bozothedeathmachine
6th April 2010, 11:04 PM
I'm all for Net neutrality, but this was a case more on checks-and-balances than Net neutrality. While agree with what the FCC was trying to do today, I might not like what they try tomorrow.

If Congress passed a law to allow the FCC to regulate this, then that's another thing.

Ducky
7th April 2010, 12:38 AM
I'm all for Net neutrality, but this was a case more on checks-and-balances than Net neutrality. While agree with what the FCC was trying to do today, I might not like what they try tomorrow.

If Congress passed a law to allow the FCC to regulate this, then that's another thing.

This. EFF article says something similar. I agree.

Beerina
7th April 2010, 08:16 AM
Wow... surprised more haven't commented on this. this was a big headline for part of the day... C'mon skeptics, respond! I need to know how to feel about this!

A court ruled a regulatory body better damned well be able to justify it's domain of control with actual authorization by Congress. Shocking.