Telecommunications Policies

image © François ProulxToday, dozens of civil liberties organizations and Internet companies—including the Electronic Privacy Information Center, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, ThoughtWorks, and Americans for Limited Government—have joined the coalition demanding that Congress initiate a full-scale investigation into the National Security Agency (NSA)’s surveillance programs. The coalition includes ARL, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union, and many other organizations and companies concerned with privacy and civil liberties. 

image © François ProulxYesterday, ARL joined with a broad, bipartisan coalition of 86 organizations and Internet companies—including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, reddit, Mozilla, and the American Civil Liberties Union—to send a letter to Congress demanding swift investigation and reform in light of the recent revelations about unchecked global surveillance.

Letter from the American Library Association (ALA), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), and EDUCAUSE asking representatives to oppose using the Congressional Review Act or any other legislation to overturn or undermine the recent "net neutrality" decision adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

lt-netneutrality-16feb11.pdf

issue-brief-net-neutrality-rules-implications-24jan11.pdf

RLI issue 273 includes:

• Three Key Public Policies for Research Libraries: Net Neutrality, Fair Use, Open and Public Access
• The Importance of Net Neutrality to Research Libraries in the Digital Age
• Challenges in Employing Fair Use in Academic and Research Libraries
• Public Access to Federally Funded Research: Contributions to Economic Development, Competitiveness, and Innovation

EDUCAUSE, the American Library Association, and the Association of Research Libraries applaud your "third way" proposal to ensure that students, educators, and the general public can benefit from broadband services.

lt-genachowski-broadband-plan-10may10.pdf

Letter from higher education organizations regarding preserving the open Internet.

lt-genachowski-open-internet-01mar10.pdf

Comments of the Association of Research Libraries, EDUCAUSE, Internet2, NYSERNet, and ACUTA in support of rulemaking to preserve the openness of the Internet.

comments-open-internet-broadband14jan10.pdf

Comments from Comments ARL, ALA, and EDUCAUSE in support of rulemaking to preserve the openness of the Internet.

comments_fccpublicnotice_12oct10.pdf

Comments from the Center for Democracy and Technology highlight the importance of liability protections for online intermediaries and the way these protections serve to maintain the Internet as a robust platform both for the free flow of information and for trade.

cdt-comments-openaccess-06dec10.pdf

Brief of Amici Curiae Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics In Washington, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Library Association, the Association of Research Libraries, the National Security Archive, and Openthegovernment.Org in Support of Petitioners.

amicus-fcc-v-att-16nov10.pdf

The Open Internet Coalition ("OIC") submits the following comments in response to the Federal Communications Commission's October 22, 2009, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ("NPRM" or "Notice"), FCC No. 09-93.

oic-nn-comments_final.pdf

Letter expressing suppor for the recen announcement that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will begin a public proceeding that will ensure an open and nondiscriminatory Internet.

lt-pubint-nn-21oct09.pdf

Comments arguing that a broadcast flag rule adopted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) could effectively limit the public's access to information, and impair its ability to use content in new and innovative ways.

broadcast-flag-commentssept07.pdf

This case arises out of events related to the nation's transition from analog to digital television service ("DTV").

bfappealsruling0505.pdf

Reply brief concerning the Federal Communications Commission broadcast flag mandate.

broadcast-flag-reply-2004.pdf

Letter expressing opposition to the H.R. 3261, entitled "Database and Collections of Information Misappropriation Act."

dbcoalitionletter011504.pdf

Letter from the Net Coalition regarding the "Database and Collections of Information Misappropriation Act" ("Discussion Draft" or "Draft"), specifically several provisions that would be unnecessarily punitive to the Internet community but would exceed other similar federal statutes.

lt-netcoalition-databases-08sep03.pdf

The American Library Association (ALA), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), and EDUCAUSE welcome the FCC's Notice of Inquiry (NOI) proposing a "third way" forward on the difficult question of regulatory authority over broadband Internet access service.

third-way-comments_071510.pdf

One of the principal provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") is a limitation on the potential money damages that Online Service Providers ("OSPs"), including libraries and educational institutions, could face when they function like a common carrier, allowing online users access to copyrighted material placed there by someone else. Rather than confront huge financial claims if the third party material infringes someone's copyright, OSPs can escape liability provided they comply with these new rules.

dmca-highlights-limitation-of-liability.pdf

Testimony on distance education given on behalf of the Association of American Universities, the American Council on Education, and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges.

distance-ed-testomony-gasaway.pdf

Testimony on distance education given on behalf of the Association of American Universities, the American Council on Education, and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges.

neal-testimony-distance-ed-26jan99.pdf

Letter from library and higher education organizations thanking Congressional representatives for their attention to assuring that any statute designed to clarify the limit of an on-line service provider's liability for copyright infringement appropriately accommodates the unique nature of libraries.

hatch-osp-letter-30mar98.pdf

Testimony by Robert Oakley on behalf of the American Association of Law Libraries and 17 of the nation's other principal educational and library organizations.

oakley-testimony-090497.pdf