Washington, D.C.— On Wednesday, February 16, the Congressional Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will hold a hearing on the FCC’s recent Open Internet Order, and whether to invalidate rules to preserve access and innovation online through a little-used procedural maneuver.

In anticipation of these events, Future of Music Coalition (FMC) — a national nonprofit research, education and advocacy organization for musicians — has joined individual artists and arts service organizations in urging Congress not to undermine essential protections for creative entrepreneurs on the internet.

In a letter to House Congressional leadership, artists such as R.E.M., Rebecca Gates, Kronos Quartet, Jill Sobule, Erin McKeown, Thao Nguyen, Alex Shapiro and Charles Bissell described the need for rules of the road to ensure that the internet remains a platform for creativity and commerce:

“Who could have predicted the power of Twitter? The ubiquity of Facebook? The popularity of Pandora? We love these sites and services, and we know a lot of members of Congress do, too. It’s safe to say that none of them would exist without an accessible platform for innovation.

“Yet there is the very real possibility that without clear, enforceable and transparent rules, Internet Service Providers will favor their own products at the expense of other entrepreneurial activity — not to mention free expression. There is a range of opinions about exactly what those rules should look like, but it is pretty clear to those of us who depend on the internet to manage our businesses that some basic rules are needed.”

Full letter text:
http://futureofmusic.org/filing/artist-letter-congress-support-fccs-open-internet-order

FMC also sent a letter, co-signed by national non-profit arts service organizations the National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture and Fractured Atlas, which stressed the importance of holding ISPs accountable for their marketplace behavior:

“Although many of us feel strongly that the recent FCC Order does not go far enough in its protections (particularly with regard to mobile broadband access), we recognize the importance of having a process in place by which concerns can be addressed and transparency pursued.

“We believe that Congress has a role to play in establishing guidelines that preserve a competitive, accessible internet where free expression and entrepreneurship can continue to flourish. We also believe that stripping the FCC’s ability to enforce these core principles runs counter the values shared by members on both sides of the aisle, as well as prior and current FCC leadership.”

Full letter text:
http://futureofmusic.org/filing/letter-congress-support-fcc-open-internet-order

There is currently a bill moving through Congress that invokes the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which allows Congress to overturn regulations passed by federal agencies.  In this case, the bill would overturn the FCC’s recently established Open Internet Order.  Yet the CRA would not only overturn the existing rules — it would also prevent the Commission issuing future rules regarding broadband access and innovation. FMC believes this would be devastating to working musicians, who have come to depend on the level playing field that is the internet for practically every aspect of their lives and careers.

For more information on musicians and the internet, visit FMC’s Rock the Net page:
 http://futureofmusic.org/issues/campaigns/rock-net