House Judiciary Committee, May 8, 2008

Today House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) introduced H.R. 5994, the "Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act of 2008," to establish an antitrust remedy for anticompetitive and discriminatory practices by broadband service providers.

The legislation requires internet service providers (ISPs) to interconnect with the facilities of other network providers on a reasonable and nondiscriminatory basis. It also requires them to operate their network in a reasonable and nondiscriminatory manner so that all content, applications and services are treated the same and have an equal opportunity to reach consumers.

"Americans have come to expect the Internet to be open to everyone," said Conyers. "The Internet was designed without centralized control, without gatekeepers for content and services. If we allow companies with monopoly or duopoly power to control how the Internet operates, network providers could have the power to choose what content is available. Many of the innovations and products we use every day, such as search engines, music download services and online video, likely would never have developed in such a restricted environment."

"I am pleased to join Chairman Conyers in cosponsoring this important legislation," noted Rep. Zoe Lofgren. "Recent events have shown that net neutrality is more than a hypothetical concern. We need a meaningful remedy to prevent those who control the infrastructure of the Internet from controlling the content on the Internet. This legislation will help guarantee that the innovative spirit of the Internet is not trampled."

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