Comcast Can Block BitTorrent Again, Court Rules

[Broken]

US court rules against FCC on `net neutrality'
4-6-10

WASHINGTON – A federal appeals court has ruled that the Federal Communications Commission lacks the authority to require broadband providers to give equal treatment to all Internet traffic flowing over their networks.

Tuesday's ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is a big victory for Comcast Corp., the nation's largest cable company. It had challenged the FCC's authority to impose so called "net neutrality" obligations.

It marks a serious setback for the FCC, which needs authority to regulate the Internet in order to push ahead with key parts of its massive national broadband plan.

:source: Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100406/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_internet_rules

[bobbintb]

well, obama is for net neutrality, so hopefully he will give the fcc the authority.

[Radon0r]

Apparently only one method of enforcing net neutrality was shot down. The door is still open for others.

[anoneemuse]

a bucnh of computers there a bunch of computers here

so its like , the place with most bucnh of computers wins something or something like that ?

this internet is a mystery ..

a group of pc decides to broadcast stuff and is called internet ..

ok


and you need cable .. to connect it to other countries...

and these cable providers are called isp ?

[bobbintb]

a bucnh of computers there a bunch of computers here

so its like , the place with most bucnh of computers wins something or something like that ?

this internet is a mystery ..

a group of pc decides to broadcast stuff and is called internet ..

ok


and you need cable .. to connect it to other countries...

and these cable providers are called isp ?

what?

[megabyteme]

Net Neutrality is so important. This is a serious blow to our online freedoms. Fuck.

[Skiz]

Yup. This was released three days ago and I couldn't believe no one posted it yet. For Americans, this is a big deal. I guess it wasn't posted on torrentfreak or tomshardware. :dabs:

A company that is given a monopoly or duopoly through government power cannot cry foul when it is regulated by the government. Time Warner, Comcast, Verizon, AT&T, etc., and the satellite companies benefit by the government limiting their competition. After all, not just anyone can put up fiber optic lines or put a satellites in space; any company that wants to do this needs authorization from the government. Therefore, ISPs do not participate in a free market. As the market in which ISPs effectively control is not free, someone needs to prevent them from abusing their positions. For loads of folks, switching providers is not an option as the number of providers in their area may very well be limited by government regulation.

However, the customer should get what he (or she) pays for. If you pay for 12 Mbps line, you should be able to use that bandwidth for anything that you desire. The ISP should not discriminate against the customer's wishes and/or favor their own services over others.

[megabyteme]

I agree with you entirely on this. I would also like to add that this is not just about file-sharing. Without net neutrality, the handful of broadband companies will be able to block/limit speed to any site (competing ideas/advertisers/info) they feel like.

If these pricks are allowed to do whatever they feel is in their best interest, small sites and consumer rights can be eliminated on a whim. Without neutrality, there is no such thing as free speech or opposing views.

Again...fuck.

[Pikachu]

Isnt this kinda against Human Rights?
Looks Dangerous :(

[PurpleIce]

Yup. This was released three days ago and I couldn't believe no one posted it yet. For Americans, this is a big deal. I guess it wasn't posted on torrentfreak or tomshardware. :dabs:

I believe it was already posted here, http://filesharingtalk.com/vb3/f-news-section-95/t-comcast-can-block-bittorrent-again-court-rules-405432/
they look like the same story to me, unless I'm missing something?

[Tv Controls you]

Comcast still limits bittorrent speeds and Verizon has already blocked sites in the past.

[Skiz]

Isnt this kinda against Human Rights?
Looks Dangerous :(

The internet has nothing to do with "human rights". :blink:

[Sporkk]

Eventually they will come up with enough laws or regulations to stop file sharing. I don't see the internet changing much otherwise. It would be bad for business if they start messing with legal sites and the internet in general.

If it does get really bad there would be no point in having internet access. Maybe we will have to go back to something similar to the BBS days?

[typeoholic]

I'll be willing to bet that my two cents won't be welcomed in this matter, but I will say it anyway. Firstly, goodbye to freedom. We, (USA - as a country) have incessantly misused and abused our 'freedom' all along the dire course of history, from beginning to present. It's as much a well-documented fact as is the gut-wrenching truth of the age-old quote 'those who fail to learn the lessons of history are condemned to repeat them'. Rome was a great example with its notorious rise and fall; history reflects the moral of the story that corruption is an inevitable erosive means of an absolute fall.

The truth of the matter is that America is quite honestly turning out to be no different, just on an alternate scale of sorts. As a nation, we have ultimately turned the blind eye coupled by our ignorant and indifferent minds and where gardens left untended become ravaged by wild beasts and overbearing forests, we have become trapped in the same snares that our forefathers went in search of leaving behind.

I could go on about how history proves that, technically speaking, nothing in fact was really 'left behind'. Much of the same debase and perverse seeds were planted across the face of this country in 1620 when the European pilgrimage stepped ashore, absent minded or not.

Of course no one sees the dominant issue at hand when our government states that every household in America should have high-speed internet. Just remember, a government big enough to give you everything you need is strong enough to take away everything you have. Enough on that matter.

On the other hand, whatever measures land in our laps, the pirate ships may sink, but the gold will be a treasure forever. Buried and forgotten or perchance still sailing the high seas; they cannot wholly erase the concept of 'sharing' in its entirety.

:)

[Rart]

Yup. This was released three days ago and I couldn't believe no one posted it yet. For Americans, this is a big deal. I guess it wasn't posted on torrentfreak or tomshardware. :dabs:

Sorry, I don't mean to shit on your parade or anything, but isn't this the same issue?

http://filesharingtalk.com/vb3/f-news-section-95/t-comcast-can-block-bittorrent-again-court-rules-405432

[Skiz]

I missed it. :pinch:

EDIT: It was on torrentfreak. :glag:

[devilsadvocate]

As I understand it the ruling was based on the current classification of broadband. I've seen it suggested that all that needs to be done is reclassify broadband as a communication service and the FCC will have enforcement powers.

[Skiz]

Oh, ffs... There was not only another thread about this, there were two other threads.

I'm going to merge mine and Rart's thread with Broken's as it was first.

Sorry people. :wacko:

[Rart]

Oh, ffs... There was not only another thread about this, there were two other threads.

I'm going to merge mine and Rart's thread with Broken's as it was first.

Sorry people. :wacko:

Guess I'm victim to that too :lol:

This is a huge decision that will dramatically affect how we progress in terms of speed and technology (which is starting to lack compared to other countries).

One of my friends apparently has Comcast "Xfinity" or something like that where he lives, which offers 100mbps internet access at home. I still don't get it though - whats the point of having such great theoretical speeds and paying a premium monthly fee if you're only going to get constantly capped and throttled by Comcast?