Writers Guild East, Songwriters At Odds On Network Neutrality Rules

The Songwriters Guild of America is insisting that rules banning Internet service providers from discriminating by offering prioritized access will hinder efforts to fight piracy. This week, the organization filed a letter with the Federal Communications Commission insisting that a regulation banning Internet service providers from discriminating "would continue to permit rampant Internet piracy." The Writers Guild of America, East, meanwhile, makes the opposite argument. That group says that a strong non-discrimination provision is vital to ensuring that big media companies don't gain an unfair advantage over independent writers. As for copyright infringement, the Writers Guild East says that anti-piracy initiatives and neutrality principles can co-exist. "Everyone opposes car theft but no one proposes that we restrict access to the highways," the organization argues.