Gravelles
27-05-2008, 21:56
Greetings-
We urge your support for the Network Neutrality Act of 2008, which is currently in need of a quorum at the World Assembly.
The text of the resolution follows:
The World Assembly,
Believing strongly in the protection of equal access to information, trade opportunities and freedom from nondiscriminatory practices by broadband network providers on the Internet,
Article 1.
ESTABLISHES what constitutes discrimination by broadband network providers;
(a) It shall be unlawful for any broadband network provider—
(1) to fail to provide its broadband network services on reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms and conditions such that any person can offer or provide content, applications, or services to or over the network at least equal to the manner in which the provider or its affiliates offer content, applications, and services, free of any surcharge on the basis of the content, application or service;
(2) to refuse to interconnect its facilities with the facilities of another provider of broadband network services on reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms or conditions;
(3)(A) to block, to impair, to discriminate against, or to interfere with the ability of any person to use a broadband network service to access, to use, to send, to receive, or to offer lawful content, applications or services over the Internet; or
(B) to impose an additional charge to avoid any conduct that is prohibited by this subsection;
(4) to prohibit a user from attaching or using a device on the provider's network that does not physically damage or materially degrade other users' utilization of the network; or
(5) to fail clearly and conspicuously disclose to users, in plain language, accurate information concerning any terms, conditions, or limitations on the broadband network service;
(b) If a broadband network provider prioritizes or offers enhanced quality of service to data of a particular type, it must prioritize or offer enhanced quality of service to all data of that type (regardless of the origin or ownership of such data) without imposing a surcharge or other consideration for such prioritization or enhanced quality of service;
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent a broadband network provider from taking reasonable and nondiscriminatory measures—
(1) to manage the functioning of its network, on a systemwide basis, provided that any such management function does not result in discrimination between content, applications, or services offered by the provider and unaffiliated provider;
(2) to give priority to emergency communications;
(3) to prevent a violation of a WA Member State law, or to comply with an order of a court to enforce such law;
(4) to offer consumer protection services (such as parental controls), provided that a user may refuse or disable such services;
(5) to offer special promotional pricing or other marketing initiatives; or
(6) to prioritize or offer enhanced quality of service to all data of a particular type (regardless of origin or ownership of such data) without imposing a surcharge or other consideration for such prioritization or quality of service;
Article 2.
DEFINES 'Network Neutrality' as that which is considered acceptable under Article 1;
Article 3.
APPROVES the formation of the World Assembly Internet Communications Commission (WAICC);
(a) whose mission is to ensure that the standards of Network Neutrality are adhered to by all WA Member States;
(b) whose mission is not to infringe upon the sovereign right of states to block content on the Internet lawfully deemed unacceptable.
Cordially,
Peter H. Gibbons
Secretary of State
Dominion of Gravelles
We urge your support for the Network Neutrality Act of 2008, which is currently in need of a quorum at the World Assembly.
The text of the resolution follows:
The World Assembly,
Believing strongly in the protection of equal access to information, trade opportunities and freedom from nondiscriminatory practices by broadband network providers on the Internet,
Article 1.
ESTABLISHES what constitutes discrimination by broadband network providers;
(a) It shall be unlawful for any broadband network provider—
(1) to fail to provide its broadband network services on reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms and conditions such that any person can offer or provide content, applications, or services to or over the network at least equal to the manner in which the provider or its affiliates offer content, applications, and services, free of any surcharge on the basis of the content, application or service;
(2) to refuse to interconnect its facilities with the facilities of another provider of broadband network services on reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms or conditions;
(3)(A) to block, to impair, to discriminate against, or to interfere with the ability of any person to use a broadband network service to access, to use, to send, to receive, or to offer lawful content, applications or services over the Internet; or
(B) to impose an additional charge to avoid any conduct that is prohibited by this subsection;
(4) to prohibit a user from attaching or using a device on the provider's network that does not physically damage or materially degrade other users' utilization of the network; or
(5) to fail clearly and conspicuously disclose to users, in plain language, accurate information concerning any terms, conditions, or limitations on the broadband network service;
(b) If a broadband network provider prioritizes or offers enhanced quality of service to data of a particular type, it must prioritize or offer enhanced quality of service to all data of that type (regardless of the origin or ownership of such data) without imposing a surcharge or other consideration for such prioritization or enhanced quality of service;
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent a broadband network provider from taking reasonable and nondiscriminatory measures—
(1) to manage the functioning of its network, on a systemwide basis, provided that any such management function does not result in discrimination between content, applications, or services offered by the provider and unaffiliated provider;
(2) to give priority to emergency communications;
(3) to prevent a violation of a WA Member State law, or to comply with an order of a court to enforce such law;
(4) to offer consumer protection services (such as parental controls), provided that a user may refuse or disable such services;
(5) to offer special promotional pricing or other marketing initiatives; or
(6) to prioritize or offer enhanced quality of service to all data of a particular type (regardless of origin or ownership of such data) without imposing a surcharge or other consideration for such prioritization or quality of service;
Article 2.
DEFINES 'Network Neutrality' as that which is considered acceptable under Article 1;
Article 3.
APPROVES the formation of the World Assembly Internet Communications Commission (WAICC);
(a) whose mission is to ensure that the standards of Network Neutrality are adhered to by all WA Member States;
(b) whose mission is not to infringe upon the sovereign right of states to block content on the Internet lawfully deemed unacceptable.
Cordially,
Peter H. Gibbons
Secretary of State
Dominion of Gravelles