May 6, 2008

Below is a quick roundup of recent press releases from Tech Policy Central's Who's Who, which profiles nearly 100 think tanks, coalitions and trade associations.

• Net neutrality adovcate group Free Press published the testimony of its policy director Ben Scott, who was among the witnesses at this morning's net neutrality hearing held by the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. Mr. Scott joined NCTA chief Kyle McSlarrow, RIAA CEO Mitch Bainwol, Christian Coalition vice president Michele Combs and others who appeared before the Subcommittee to discuss Chairman Ed Markey's (D-MA) proposed bill, H.R. 5353, The Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008. We shared brief notes from the hearing via Twitter.

• In response to today's hearing on H.R. 5353, the Competitive Enterprise Institute released a statement by its technology policy analyst Cord Blomquist opposing the proposed net neutrality bill. According to Mr. Blomquist, "this bill does more than prohibit bad actions that will never happen. It also prevents ISPs from employing sensible network management that is vital for addressing the growing demands of Internet users."

• Consumer interest group Public Knowledge filed a brief in U.S. District Court in Arizona yesterday in a copyright infringement suit that Blizzard Entertainment (maker of the popular World of Warcraft game) has brought against a company named MDY. Public Knowledge claims that Blizzard has "misinterpreted copyright law" and argues that "if the Court accepts Blizzard's arguments, then companies would impose onerous new terms on their licenses."

• In lighter news, as part of their effort to inform consumers about the upcoming digital TV transition on February 17th, the Consumer Electronics Association and the National Association of Broadcasters launched a contest called Rabbit Ears Pioneers. The press release states that the "competition will search for the most interesting stories, memories and anecdotes from individuals who receive over-the-air broadcast TV signals using an antenna on an older analog television set."

Visit Who's Who for additional updates and announcements from organizations such as the Semiconductor Industry Association, Electronic Frontier Foundation, ICANN and others.

Tags: Competitive Enterprise Institute, Consumer Electronics Association, digital TV, Ed Markey, Free Press, National Association of Broadcasters, net neutrality, Public Knowledge, Twitter, Who's Who