COPYCENSE

"The nation’s highest court will determine whether the controversial ‘Brand X’ ruling of a U.S. appeals court should stand. The case involves whether the government should regulate cable companies in the same way as phone companies. Phone companies are required to allow third-party providers to offer broadband service over their networks, but cable companies are not.

"The difference arises from the Federal Communications Commission’s classification of cable as an information service rather than a telecommunications service.

"The government can regulate telecommunications services, but cannot touch information services. In October 2003, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the FCC was incorrect in making that distinction."

Jim Hu. Supreme Court to Hear Broadband Case. ZD Net. Dec. 3, 2004.

See also:
Charles Lane. Small Wineries Find Ally On Interstate Shipping. WashingtonPost.com. Dec. 5, 2004.

(Editor’s Note: The Post allows free access to their stories on the Web for 14 days before sending the stories to the paper’s fee-based Archives.)

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