Hollywood Needs Net Neutrality, Too

[Commentary] There's a lot of confusion in Hollywood about what the proposed Federal Communications Commission Net Neutrality rules mean, and what they will mean for the entertainment industry.

Net Neutrality essentially means an open Internet where all traffic is equal, anyone can publish content, and everyone has access to media. Free expression, free innovation -- our equal rights to both -- are protected. This version of the Internet has fueled two decades of unprecedented economic and creative growth. The FCC's Chairman, Tom Wheeler, is proposing that we close it down. A big vote takes place tomorrow and it's expected that the FCC's planned revisions to Net Neutrality will create a preferential fast lane for designated traffic. Consumers and companies with the deep pockets to pay for this fast lane will have the ability to access and distribute content at higher speeds. The entities that lack this purchasing power will be disadvantaged. The impact on innovation is obvious. It's going to be hard to build a platform, application, or audience if you can't get online. That means that the Internet's current services are all we're ever going to get. A closed Internet will cost us. Consider the retransmission battles that go on in Cable markets on a regular basis. Imagine if it applied to the Internet. Under that model, we can expect Netflix -- or the content provider of your choice -- to be taken down or degraded until a new agreement is in place, and the provider (the consumer) pays up.

[Mason currently serves as Chief Content Officer at BitTorrent]