BROADBAND
Aggressive Verizon Plays Every Angle In Battle Over Broadband
Deregulation (WSJ)
INTERNET
Efforts to Ease Worries on New Net Addresses (NYT)
Governors Urge End to E-Tax Ban (WP)
DIGITAL DIVIDE
Keeping E-Mail Afloat in Brazil (Wired)
BROADBAND
AGGRESSIVE VERIZON PLAYS EVERY ANGLE IN BATTLE OVER BROADBAND DEREGULATION
Issue: Broadband
As part of a vigorous campaign devoted to advancing legislation that would
let the Bells offer long-distance Internet service via phone lines without
having to prove that they have opened local phone markets to competition,
Verizon has been backing an array of organizations that support letting the
Bells sell high-speed "broadband" Internet connections for consumers. While
Verizon isn't the only one in the broadband battle helping to fund advocacy
groups, many consumer advocates find Verizon's aggressive approach
particularly irksome. "Verizon has a multifaceted lobbying effort, from
front groups to purchased academics to direct personal contacts with the new
administration," said Gene Kimmelman, co-director of Consumer Union's
Washington office. "They're pulling every lever." After receiving a large
grant from Verizon, Robert Crandall, an economist from the Brookings
Institution, released a study concluding that widespread broadband
deployment could add as much as $500 billion a year to the U.S. economy.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Yochi J. Dreazen]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB997823037806514151.htm)
(requires subscription)
INTERNET
EFFORTS TO EASE WORRIES ON NEW NET ADDRESSES
Issue: Internet
The two companies responsible for the new top-level Domain Names .info and
.biz are taking steps to address concerns about their processes for
distributing the new addresses. Afilias, the consortium that distributes
.info, announced today that it will challenge attempts by nontrademark
holders to register trademarked names fraudulently. Afilias has come under
criticism by trademark holders for loopholes in its advance registration
period that allowed for fraud. Afilias' process will be administered by the
World Intellectual Property Organization. Neulevel Inc., the company that
will administer the .biz registrations, is taking a different tack. Neulevel
has filed a declaratory judgment against Amazon.com. The suit is in response
to a letter by Amazon.com expressing concern over Neulevel's policy of
awarding .biz domain names by a random drawing, regardless of previous
trademark ownership or brand similarity. A California suit filed against
Neulevel last month claims that the company's policy of charging trademark
holders $2 to register for the .biz drawing constitutes an illegal lottery.
"Although we've read about the lawsuit in California, it's interesting to
note that we've never been served," Mr. Neuman said. "We are taking every
action we can to defend our system." Neulevel is seeking a court declaration
that its process does not violate federal trademark statutes and is not
subject to state or federal lottery laws.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Susan Stellin]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/15/technology/ebusiness/15DOMA.html)
GOVERNORS URGE END TO E-TAX BAN
Issue: Internet
In a letter to be sent to all House and Senate members, over 40 state
governors will push to get congressional approval for sales taxes on
Internet commerce. Specifically, the governors will urge Congress to reject
extending a 1998 moratorium on other Internet taxes unless states are given
the opportunity to come up with a system that would allow them to collect
online sales taxes. "If you care about a level playing field for main street
retail businesses, and local control of state's governments and schools,
extend the moratorium on taxing Internet access only with authorization for
the states to streamline and simplify the existing sales tax system," a
draft of the letter says. Supporters claim millions, or perhaps billions,
of sales-tax dollars are going uncollected when people purchase products
through the Internet. Opponents point out that there exist roughly 7,500
state and local taxing jurisdictions across the country, making it onerous,
if not impossible, for e-tailers to collect proper taxes based on where the
purchaser resides.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Jonathan Krim]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/11889-1.html)
DIGITAL DIVIDE
KEEPING E-MAIL AFLOAT IN BRAZIL
Issue: Digital Divide
In Amap