Verizon, Google Wallet and the LTE Network Agreement

Verizon Wireless has come under fire for blocking the mobile payment app, Google Wallet, from the keystone of its newly-released product line. Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus, which was developed in partnership with Google, was released last week after delays and speculation over whether or not Verizon would ship the phone with Google Wallet functionality.  Ship it did, absent the app - and it seems that in doing so Verizon may have violated its open-devices and open-applications conditions in its legal licenses for the 700MHz spectrum - the spectrum that operates its LTE network.  An open letter to the FCC was promptly dispatched by Barbara van Schewick, a professor at Stanford Law School and Director of the Center for Internet & Society.

The letter urges the FCC to investigate Verizon’s blocking of the app, as it appears to contravene FCC Service Rules which prohibit standards that block specific devices or applications or “
other services that compete with wireless service providers’ own offerings”.  For example, Verizon and AT&T’s new mobile payment application slated for launch next year ISIS, which will be in direct competition with Google Wallet.  

Van Schewick’s letter added that such a violation will have serious ramifications for all innovation in mobile technology -- not just mobile payment technology -- because investors will shy away from a business that is entirely at the mercy of wireless providers; companies that may have a stake in stifling competitive technologies.

Verizon already has a big piece of C-Block Spectrum- they recently signed a deal with Comcast and Time Warner to acquire 122 Advanced Wireless Spectrum licenses from SpectrumCo, which means they control a pretty significant chunk of the bandwidth -- a pretty hot commodity in the toll-road style spectrum system we currently have, and the very same type of license AT&T will now transfer to T-Mobile in the wake of their failed merger attempt.  So if the wireless companies can claim this much control over spectrum, do we really want to give them a monopoly over which companies and products they allow to use it?  The FCC still has to approve the Comcast/Time Warner deal. Only time will tell if Verizon’s move will play into their decision - and how similar deals are structured going forward.

SOPA Markup on Hold. Now What?

In an unexpected move this morning, the House Judiciary Committee voted to suspend the markup of the hotly-contested Stop Online Piracy Act until the "next reasonable business day." To the 10,180 of you who (as of this writing) have made phone calls to your respective legislators, consider the beginning of this post a hearty, well-deserved congratulatory pat on the back.

The good news is that we now have more time to sway more hearts and minds on the committee and in the Congress and educate them as to why SOPA is such bad legislation in its current form.

The bad news is, the next meeting could be as early as Tuesday.

Let's keep the pressure on. Your voice is working. We heard that loud and clear in the halls of Congress this week. Now is the time to double down, make another phone call and let Congress know that as it stands right now, we stand united against SOPA and for finding a new way forward.

You can make a call right now at engineadvocacy.org/voice and now is the perfect time to let Congress know you won't stand for an internet that is easily censored and made insecure.

Thank you for your work so far, and for the work we all will do over the next weeks and months. The tide is turning in our favor, so stand up, keep fighting, and together we can protect the this essential resource in our lives.

UPDATE: Chairman Smith has scheduled the next round of markup for next Wednesday, December 21st according to multiple sources.

Internet Censorship in Malaysia

We’ve heard through third parties that there have been a number of inquiries from both the Malaysian government and in-country press expressing disapproval for our having included their nation in our ad on Wednesday. They object to being listed along with China and Iran as example governments who have been known to censor Internet traffic within their borders.

We included Malaysia in this list because it recently ordered various sites to be blocked for copyright reasons without meaningful due process for the affected sites -- just as the current versions of SOPA and PIPA in the United States would propose to do.

The Malaysian government's desire to stop large-scale, commercial piracy is an admirable goal, and one that we agree with, but site blocking is not the right way to do it -- it censors legal content unnecessarily (like the legitimate artists who use sites Megaupload to distribute their works); it is ineffective; and it threatens the security and integrity of the Internet.

By putting Malaysia in between China and Iran in that sentence, we did not mean to imply that its level of censorship and repression of free expression is akin to theirs. That would be a false comparison. To our knowledge, Malaysia's action in this particular instance of copyright is a break from their history of fostering ICT development.

It is our hope that Malaysia will take steps to ensure it has no place on this list.

Stand with Tech Entrepreneurs; Call Congress now to Stop SOPA

Today, 17 Web luminaries sent a letter to Congress opposing SOPA - the Internet censoring, innovation killing copyright legislation.

Will you stand with them and call Congress now.

Please spread the word to friends too - SOPA is heading for a committee vote tomorrow, so time is of the essence. The founders' letter will run as print ads, full page in today's New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Washington Times, Roll Call, The Hill, Politico, and CQ. You will not be able to pick up a paper in the DC area (or, really, many other places) without reading this letter. There will also be an online ad on CNET, TechCrunch, Gigaom, and Mashable, and Politico already has a story up. The ads point to a call Congress alert run by Engine Advocacy: http://stopthewall.us/

Tumblr Staff: SOPA Update

staff:

This weekend, we hosted a meeting at Tumblr HQ with top technology companies, politicians and advocacy groups to coordinate our effort to reform or prevent the well-intentioned but deeply flawed Stop Online Piracy Act from becoming law. You guys have already made a huge impact in Washington, but...

Benetech: Why I'm Scared of SOPA

So, we shouldn’t have anything to fear from a bill entitled “Stop Online Piracy Act,” right? Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

Read more at Beneblog

Keep the Web #OPEN

One of the main criticisms Hollywood has levied at Silicon Valley throughout the SOPA/PIPA debate is "Hey, it's not a perfect bill but it's not like you guys are offering better solutions."

The esteemed gentleman from California (and a few friends) beg to differ.

Today, Congressman Darrell Issa launched KeepTheWebOPEN.com, a site on which he invites public comment on his proposed Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act, which is envisioned as a more sensible option to protect copyright online by using international trade laws as enforcement mechanisms.

You can visit the website, read the proposed bill in full and add your voice to what you would like to see in the proposed legislation at the same time. So take a look, and do what you can to keep the web #OPEN.