WORTH READING Regulating the Inet...

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: dewayne () warpspeed com (Dewayne Hendricks)
Date: December 5, 2008 3:27:37 PM EST
To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <xyzzy () warpspeed com>
Subject: [Dewayne-Net] Regulating the Inet...

[Note:  This item comes from friend Tim Pozar.  DLH]

From: Tim Pozar <pozar () lns com>
Date: December 5, 2008 12:04:10 PM PST
To: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com>
Subject: [Fwd: Regulating the Inet...]

I don't think Pres Berlusconi will get far, but this idea is catching  
on.

My concern is that I really don't see any group or person stepping up to
suggest standards or regulation that will fit with say New America's
proposed national broadband strategy and the various distributed polices
that break the net such as Spam RBLing and peering agreements.    Seems
like this is a good time to start to look at that and set standards much
like the Up Time Institute is doing for power in data centers.  For
instance, a baseline AUP that ISPs can sign on to.  Additional
regulations and law that provide reduce the liability of ISPs to various
forms of content.  If we really want to treat the network as a pipe or
"Stupid" as in David Isenberg paper, we need to craft regulation to
support that.

If a set of standards aren't written by the industry, then expect some
really bad attempts of treaties and regulation coming out of places like
the UN and the G8.

Tim
--
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/03/berlusconi_g8_internet/>

Berlusconi plans to use G8 presidency to 'regulate the internet'

Forza Italia?

By Chris Williams

Posted in Telecoms, 3rd December 2008 16:59 GMT

Italian president and media baron Silvio Berlusconi said today that he
would use his country's imminent presidency of the G8 group to push for
an international agreement to "regulate the internet".

Speaking to Italian postal workers, Reuters reports Berlusconi said:
"The G8 has as its task the regulation of financial markets... I think
the next G8 can bring to the table a proposal for a regulation of the
internet."

Italy's G8 presidency begins on January 1. The role is taken by each of
the group's members in rotation. The holder country is responsible for
organising and hosting the G8's meetings and setting the agenda. Italy's
last G8 presidency in 2001, also under Berlusconi, was marred by riots
at the annual meeting in Genoa.

Berlusconi didn't explain what he meant by "regulate the internet", but
the mere mention of it has prompted dismay among Italian commentators.
Berlusconi owns swathes of the Italian mass media.

The left-wing newspaper L'Unita wrote: "You can not say that it is not a
disturbing proclamation, given that the only countries in the world
where there are filters or restrictions against internet are countries
ruled by dictatorial regimes: those between China, Iran, Cuba, Saudi
Arabia."

La Stampa reports Italian bloggers are planning to protest against any
move by the president to tighten government control over the web
tomorrow. They plan to display anti-Berlusconi banners on their  
websites.

Any G8 move next year to "regulate the internet" led by Berlusconi is
likely to attract criticism. He has often been accused of using his
power to try to silence dissent. He lost a long-running libel battle
against The Economist earlier this year after it said he was not "fit to
run Italy" and was this week suing American critic Andrew Stille for
defamation*.

However, the governments of industrialised nations have been ramping up
their rhetoric against internet content they view as unacceptable. The
UK has introduced new laws and revived
(http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/09/policing_internet_one/) arcane
ones to clamp down on extremist websites and niche pornography.
Australia is busy implementing
(http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/05/aussie_internet/) filters.
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