All PowerPoint slides here
Week 1 (Thursday, September 23): An introduction to the Internet
Readings: The Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Plan (read the executive summary)
When the Internet Was Utopia
History of the Internet
Internet timeline
The Carterfone decision
TCP/IP
Did the Internet’s founders foresee paid prioritized traffic?
Week 2 (September 28 and 30): The problem of content sharing, I
Betamax and Grokster
A century of big content fearing new devices
A copyright law time line
The Betamax decision: Wikipedia entry; Museum of TV entry; the EFF’s Betamax page
The Grokster decision: Wikipedia entry; the EFF’s Grokster page
UC Santa Cruz copyright policy in response to Higher Education Opportunity Act. Be Smart on the Internet
Week 3 (October 5 and 7): Net neutrality, I
The rise and fall of Comcast vs. FCC
The FCC’s Cable Order
The Brand X case; quick summary on line sharing policies here (read the subhead section titled “Radical Surgery” for Brand X wrap up)
The FCC’s Internet Policy Statement
The Comcast/Time Warner Adelphia buyout (read from paragraph 212 through 223 here).
The AT&T/BellSouth merger
The FCC’s Order against Comcast for P2P throttling (press release here).
Assignment #1:
1. Go to fcc.gov.
2. Go to the Electronic Comment Filing System page
3. Press the (i) button next to docket 09-191.
4. Look around. Enjoy yourself. Relax.
5. From the menu on the upper left, access search for filings.
6. Remove the date restriction via the link at the top of the page.
7. Using docket number 09-191 in the first field (“proceeding”) search for filings by Google, Verizon, AT&T, and Free Press. Use the field called “Name of Filer” to enter these names.
8. Read them.
Exam one (Thursday)
Week 4 (October 12 and 14): Net neutrality, II
ISPs as common carriers
The FCC’s proposed additional net neutrality rules (enforcement and transparency); summary here.
Comcast beats the FCC in court (here and here).
So the FCC proposes Title II limited common carrier rules (summary here).The Google Verizon net neutrality proposal (my take on it here).
Assignment #2:
1. Go to the Office of the Clerk’s Lobbying Disclosure Form
2. Access “registrant name” as the first search field
3. Type in a prominent company of your choice (eg, “Verizon,” “Google,” “Facebook,” “AT&T,” etc)
4. Look at what legislation they’re lobbying about
5. Input the bill name and the number into a search engine
6. You’ll get results from govtrack, OpenCongress, and the LOC’s Thomas guide. Learn about the proposed law there.
Week 5 (October 19 and 21): Anti-trust
The Microsoft case, here and in Europe
The Comcast/NBCU merger (what Comcast already owns)
The Time Warner / Comcast TV Everywhere initiative
Congressional hearing on Comcast case
Exam two, Thursday (will cover all materials listed in week three)
Week 6 (October 26 and 28): The regulation of wireless broadband and its devices
The Pew Life on the Internet report on wireless devices
The Carterfone decision
The Skype petition on wireless devices
RCA’s protest against exclusive handset deals (RCA petition here)
The Google Voice inquiry
Week 7 (November 2 and 4): More on wireless broadband
The FCC’s inquiry on early termination fees
The “bill shock” brouhaha (Europe; FCC; wireless industry response)
The question of wireless competition.
Week 8 (November 9): Privacy
No class on Veterans day
Rep. Rick Boucher’s Opt-In legislation
The EPIC et al‘s letter on Facebook
Capitol Hill perspectives on privacy
Week 9 (November 16 and 18): Fair Use and the Internet
Stephanie Lenz v. Universal Pictures (read documents here)
The DMCA
The billion dollar lawsuit: YouTube vs. Viacom (read key documents here)
Viacom motion for summary judgment
Google response
Articles to read:
Nate Anderson, Smoking guns, dark secrets
Matthew Lasar, Internet Democracy at Stake in Google Viacom Lawsuit?
Advocates warn of “dangerous” DMCA proposals
Exam three (November 18)
Exam three will cover all materials from week four on net neutrality and week five on anti-trust, with four extra credit questions on wireless issues
Week 10 (November 23): Youtube vs. Viacom continued
Take home exam due week 11 on December 2 (along with your term paper). Question: Identify five key legal or policy questions or issues regarding Universal vs. Lenz and five regarding Google vs. Viacom.
A “legal question” involves an interpretation of a law. A “policy question” (or issue) involves the impact of that law or the impact of a specific interpretation.
Your answers can all be one sentence long.
Week 11 (November 30 and December 2): The Internet’s hopefully endless future
Term paper due last day of lecture (December 2) along with take home exam. No late term papers please. If I receive them after class they automatically go down a full grade.
Final exam (cumulative from the beginning of class) Tuesday, December 7, 4:00–7:00 P.M
The final will include an essay that covers all the major topics we’ve covered in your tests. There will also be ten identifications. You’ll have to describe five in paragraphs of four or five sentences each.
The essay will be worth 50 points. The IDs worth 10 points each.