Re: Time Warner setting up to gouge all their internet customers
- From: pj <pj4380@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 11:47:50 -0800
Peter A wrote:
In article <G6SdnZz5XfolHQ7anZ2dnUVZ_gadnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxx>, dockscience@xxxxxxxxx says..."Rob" <rob@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
Time Warner said on Wednesday that it was going to start testing a new rateAn obvious LIE since the charges begin at 5 GB.
plan in Beaumont that would limit the amount of bandwidth each customer can
use each month before additional fees kick in. Alexander Dudley, a Time
Warner spokesman, said that the exact terms had not been set, but that
packages would probably offer between 5 gigabytes and 40 gigabytes a month.
Mr. Dudley disputed this view. "This is not targeted at people who download movies from Apple," he said. "This is aimed at people who use peer-to-peer networks and download terabytes."
But then, he does work for Time-Warner.
I think it's a legitimate charge, as long as internet connections are limited in bandwidth. I use Time-Warner, and the speed of my connection is affected by what others on the same section of the network are doing. If some zit-picker next door is downloading gigabytes of movies or music, my ability to use the Internet is compromised - yet that person pays no more than I do. How is that fair?
Many Cable operators are very sensitive to the use of peer-to-peer networks and services like Bittorrent. Those types of connections frequently impinge on the entertainment industry's proprietary materials such as games and movies. They also, erode TW's PPV and OnDemand services.
Peer-to-peer, Usenet and FTP have been painted by Hollywood as the vehicles of lawless individuals. Not always so!
I frequently use BitTorrent connections for both Linux and commercial software upgrades. These are large chunks of data that are legally excluded from the Millenium Act and other DRM restrictions. I also use a cable ISP to stream motion pictures from Netflix. Netflix has already paid the royalty on my download.
If a cable operator gets in the way of either of these types dataflows, it is acting in restraint of trade and needs to be looked at by both the Federal Trade Commission and the FCC.
I understand that this is a tough wicket. Hollywood, including T-W does deserve to protect their intellectual property and ensure a return on their investment but they have to be very careful how they act.
What they cannot do is to use their ISP service to act as a lawless enforcer of their own copyright rights. (This is akin to initiating a fist fight in reaction someone using counterfeit theater tickets -- however, the Las Vegas Casinos do have some leeway.)
If T-W acts to limit a legal download in a discriminatory manner, that's the time to complain to the FCC, your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator.
Comcast is now under an FCC investigation for this sort of practice. Cable companies have been maneuvering to get the 70/70 restriction relaxed since their market penetration is approaching that limit. If they appear to the FCC or Congress to be acting prejudicially, they'll have a helluva time getting any slack.
--
pj
.
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