Before the FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20554 In the Matter of ) ) Preserving the Open Internet ) GN Docket No. 09-191 ) Broadband Industry Practices ) WC Docket No. 07-52 REPLY COMMENTS OF ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION March 4, 2010 The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) submits the following reply comments in response to the Commission’s October 22, 2009, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), FCC No. 09-93, in the above-captioned proceedings. On January 14, 2010, EFF filed comments with the Commission that, among other things, expressed the view that the Open Internet rules proposed by the NPRM should not treat copyright enforcement or any other ISP efforts to block, interfere, or discriminate based on the content of speech as “reasonable network management.”1 As we stated in those comments: Because the proposed regulations by their terms do not protect “unlawful content,” there is no need for an exception to permit ISPs to block such content. Any copyright enforcement exception to the six principles simply serves to excuse ISPs from using undisclosed, overbroad techniques that interfere with lawful activities, as long as they claim they were attempting to restrict unlawful ones. This “copyright loophole” has profound implications for the free speech rights of Internet users and cannot be reconciled with the stated purposes of the NPRM.2 1 See Comments of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, FCC GN Docket No. 09-191 (filed Jan. 14, 2010) (available at http://www.eff.org/files/filenode/nn/EFFNNcomments.pdf). 2 Id. at 11. 1 Contemporaneously, EFF invited members of the public to sign a petition to signify that they share these concerns.3 More than 7,071 individuals joined the petition, representing residents of every one of the 50 states. The text of the petition, along with the names of its signatories, is attached to these reply comments for the Commission’s review. In addition to this direct input from members of the public, a number of public interest and industry groups, including the Computer and Communications Industry Association, the Consumer Electronics Association, Home Recording Rights Coalition, NetCoalition, and Public Knowledge, agree that the Commission’s definition of “reasonable network management” should avoid creating any exception that would allow ISPs to inflict collateral damage on lawful content and activities in the course of interdicting unlawful content or transmissions.4 EFF urges the Commission to consider these views as it considers the proper definition of “reasonable network management” as envisioned in the rules proposed by the NPRM. DATED: March 4, 2010 By _______Fred von Lohmann_________ Fred von Lohmann Senior Staff Attorney [email protected] ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION 454 Shotwell Street San Francisco, CA 94110 Telephone: (415) 436-9333 x123 Facsimile: (415) 436-9993 3 An open letter to the Commission was posted and public signatures invited at http://www.realnetneutrality.org/. 4 See Joint Comments of Computer and Communications Industry Association, Consumer Electronics Association, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Home Recording Rights Coalition, NetCoalition, and Public Knowledge on the Matter of Copyright Infringement in the Open Internet Rules, FCC GN Docket No. 09-191 (filed Jan. 14, 2010) (available at http://www.publicknowledge.org/pdf/joint-comments-copyright-nn-20100113.pdf). 2 To the Federal Communications Commission: Your October 22, 2009 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeks to create an exception from network neutrality and open Internet principles to allow ISPs to block or filter content which they suspect might be copyright-infringing. I believe this exception would be damaging to lawful fair use, free speech and innovation on the Internet, and that it should be removed. Sincerely, Steve Wagner in Chicago, IL Kevin Gorski in Longmont, CO Chris Schultz in Minneapolis, MN Matt Billings in Washington, DC Jason Gray in Milwaukee, WI Larry Rosenthal in Bellevue, WA Alexander Smith in La Vergne, TN Chris Vashel in Danville, CA Luke Bredeson in St. Paul, MN Anthony Lauck in Warren, VT Jason Larke in Saline, MI Jeffrey Lanham in San Antonio, TX Christopher Curzio in Decatur, GA Jesse Lundberg in Boston, MA Mattias Fornander in Boulder, CO William Sisti in Oakland, NJ Robert Gorski in Wilkes Barre, PA Brent Moore in Wayne, PA Christopher Clai in Orlando, FL Raymond Earhart in New Smyrna Beach, FL Christopher Alden in Lancaster, CA David Gacke in Island Lake, IL Michelle Mishmash in Eagan, MN Jeremy Bartle in Pittsburgh, PA Will Curry in New Orleans, LA Michael Beasley in Owens Cross Roads, AL Grif Rosser in San Carlos, CA Steve Sturgill in Louisville, KY Frankie East in Amissville, VA Don Doty, Jr. in Huntington Beach, CA Adam Batkin in Greenwich, CT Robin Mayhue in Hudson, FL Glen Brownworth in North Brunswick, NJ Gregory Wierzchowski in East Brunswick, NJ Saul Edwards in Brooklyn, NY Randy Kliewer in Auburn, CA Mitch Jones in Chicago, IL Casey Marshall in San Marcos, TX Murali Shanker in Kent, OH Keith Barber in Lynchburg, VA Ben Webb in Atlanta, GA Mark Casazza in New York, NY Zoltan Korossy in Kensington, MD Robert Parks in Springport, IN Sean Porth in Holyoke, MA Robert Solimeno in Goshen, OH Meg Funk in Norcross, GA Sam Decesare in West Bloomfield, MI Dan Steeves in Minneapolis, MN Justin Chrisman in Boulder City, NV Douglas Philips in Pittsburgh, PA Michael Millspaugh in Roseland, NJ Janet Maker in Los Angeles, CA Alexander Sicular in New York, NY Mitchell Lee in Friendsville, TN David Riordan in Southport, CT Tim Downey in Leominster, MA Guy Wissel in Baltimore, MD Mark Boyden in Austin, TX Alec Sergeyev in Sunny Isles Beach, FL George Pontis in Palomar Park, CA Melanie Williams in West Jordan, UT Eric Futch in Kew Gardens, NY Jeffrey Thomas in Saint Paul, MN John Milster in Phoenix, AZ Billy Zelsnack in Madison, WI Martin Maranski in Nanuet, NY Jon Boyd in Philadelphia, PA Bradley Rowen in Union, KY Gregory Roberts in Mascoutah, IL Lane Hoy in Ann Arbor, MI Jonathan Nation in Smyrna, TN Bill Liddle in Schenectady, NY Stephen Wilcoxon in Edina, MN David Cline in Lake Oswego, OR Brad Elsmore in Rochester, NY Matthew Rose in Sterling Heights, MI Steve Honley in Washington, DC Joseph Dillingham in Brooklyn, NY Daniel Dillman in St. Cloud, MN Tim Henderson in Cleveland, OH Gregory Shepherd in Arvada, CO Bob Johnson in Appleton, WI Jeff Noxon in Houston, TX Jean-Philippe Langlois in Carrollton, TX Charles Ulrich in Lansing, MI 1 Mary Alice Fisher in Cloverdale, CA David Sentelle in Hilliard, OH Jeffrey Fasceski in Burke, VA Daniel Walthall in Henrico, VA David Alden in Palmdale, CA Andrew Southam in Seattle, WA Edmund Zavada in Charlottesville, VA Adam Thompson in Philadelphia, PA Mace Moneta in Manalapan, NJ Stephen Brandon in Alexandria, VA Omeed Gousheh in Greenwich, CT Joshua Forest in Maldne, MA Jonas Diener in Harrisonburg, VA Mario Paranhos in Roswell, GA Caleb Adams in Indianapolis, IN John Martinez in Roswell, GA Donald Hayward in Lutz, FL Will West in Austin, TX David Brock in Greenfield, MA Mckenzie Bryan in Orinda, CA Phil Leitch in Glyndon, MN John Fulton in Easton, PA Harvey Liszt in Charlottesvile, VA Joseph Mink in Centreville, VA John Muhat in Tucson, AZ Kevin Boske in Seattle, WA Joshua Steele in Collegeville, PA Iain Gray in Austin, TX James Tucker in Oakland, CA John Pinezich in Longmont, CO Jon Eddison in Austin, TX Casey Bodley in Ypsilanti, MI Valerie Manenti in New Lebanon, NY Peyton Engel in Madison, WI Neil Cambre in Oklahoma City, OK Roy McMorran in Bar Harbor, ME Darius Bakunas in Willowick, OH Mike Hauer in Iowa City, IA Mandar Mirashi in Jersey City, NJ Robert Foster in Austin, TX Steven Domenico in Louisville, CO Dane Bowen in Mint Hill, NC Jack David Marcus in New York, NY David Beaudet in Kensington, MD William Regotti in Silver Spring, MD Russ Barron in Pittsburgh, PA Ryan Whipp in Glendale, WI Edgar Hatchel in Odessa, TX Jim Mack in Plymouth, MI William Watt in Lancaster, NY Jonathan Greene in Katonah, NY Lukaz Blaszczyk in Tallahassee, FL Chris Howe in Tega Cay, SC Kevin Kellogg in Cumming, GA Michael Muller in Cold Spring, NY Nicholas Ivy in Walla Walla, WA Jan Wilson in Baton Rouge, LA Carl Houseman in Stuarts Draft, VA Benjamin Williams in Jamaica Plain, MA Hubert Jackson in Wayne, MI Thomas Jeanne in Arnaudville, LA Anna Carey in Indianapolis, IN Michele Morelock in Wakefield, MA Douglas James in American Fork, UT Thomas Mekeel Jr in Glenham, NY Dan Poirier in Carrboro, NC Ernest Post in Cambridge, MA James Wilcox in Brentwood, TN Houman Shekarchi in Los Angeles, CA Kelsey Yoder in Brookville, IN Scott Sexton in Chicago, IL Kevin Kellogg in Cumming, GA Leah Cupino in Palmyra, VA Liz Story in Northbrook, IL Martin Shuster in Baltimore, MD Joseph Mayer in Denton, TX James Buchanan in Oak Ridge, TN Gordon Osse in Cottonwood, AZ Brian Lawry in Ankeny, IA William Shirk in Temple, PA Hilary Mason in New York, NY Alison Stanton in Chicago, IL James Warren in Rockville, MD Luke Gilliam in Austin, TX Catherine Lugg in Belle Mead, NJ Todd Glander in Lake City, MN Loreli Easterly in New Smyrna Beach, FL Joseph Palmer in Lakewood, NJ Mark Blacknell in Arlington, VA Paul Adams in Ridgewood, NJ Adam Holland in Medford, MA John Summers in Princeton, IN Peter Fasciano in Framingham, MA Sven Sampson in Vancouver, WA Aram Mirzadeh in Centereach, NY James Rinehart in Auburn Hills, MI Deborah Goldsmith in Los Gatos, CA Lewis Jones in Nashville, TN Toby Woller in Lompoc, CA Scott Dierks in Lino Lakes, MN Keith Lyons in Rochester Mn, MN Sara Rabin in Bulington, VT Andrew Ganczak in Columbus, OH Matthew Daniel in Atlanta, GA James Mulick in Columbus, OH Daniel Dibernado in Lancaster, PA Hans Krause in Houston, TX Ben Clark in Eugene, OR Erik Osterkamp in Dell Rapids, SD Dave Lindblom in Mt.