David Isenberg interviews Raymond Gifford of the Progress and Freedom Foundation, a libertarian or possibly conservative think tank. (Common Cause says its sponsors are the incumbents.)

David asks him if beyond supporting market efficiency, does he see the Net in terms of empowerment of the disempowered, everyone having a voice, etc. How do these democratic ideals come into his thinking?

Ray: You and I both distrust the ability of regulators, especially the FCC, to do anything right. The FCC tends to behave lawlessly, not to constrain monopoly power, it tends to serve the constituencies that plead before it, and it misses the ideal of being an agency full of experts. First we should try the idea that markets will get us more and better democratic institutions than regulators will. What can we do to get more competition, he asks. Let’s do spectrum reform. Let’s get more broadband pipe. [How long do we have to continue trying the duopoly? Can we set a date for withdrawal? Shouldn’t we have an exit strategy?]

Competition doesn’t come to all places at the same time. [This seems to be an argument against requiring providers to build out into poor areas as well as rich.]

Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, says she agrees with Ray that government intervention ought to be limited. The government almost always acts to seal the incumbents’ power. She is disappointed however that the PFF didn’t come out against interventions such as the Broadcast Flag and the copyright totalitarianism. “We part ways at what the regulatory standard should be.” She thinks the government ought to establish a non-discrimination standard (= Net neutrality).

David: Surely you don’t support the Broadcast Flag, Ray.

Ray: I thought it had no legal standing. [But PFF supported it anyway.]

Gigi: As the president of Slingbox says, nothing is more discouraging to investors than putting on the page of your prospectus that your business requires government approval.

Ray: The state can outlaw burglary tools. [We ought to outlaw getaway cars.] If I’m a content provider with a legitimate concern that my content is going to be pirated, what would you have me do?

Gigi: I think I’m more of a libertarian than you are. We’re willing to let content providers restrict access and see what the market does. (Gigi recommends a Cato Institute paper.) [Tags: f2c raymond_gifford gigi_sohn drm digital_rights]

Categories: Uncategorized dw