Latest Study Consistent with Findings Showing Internet Regulations as a Detriment to Consumers, Broadband Investment and the Economy
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
At the State of Union Address, President Obama identified jobs as the “number one focus” for the year – and no wonder. While the unemployment rate dipped from December to January from 10.0% to 9.7%, the [...]

Kudos to Consumer Watchdog, which filed a amicus curiae brief with the court detailing the ongoing problems with the proposed Google Book Settlement.  The brief points to anticompetitive risks, constitutional and other important issues.  
ACI agrees and would emphasize the major risks to be the monopolization of ”orphan works” and potential market power in the “book search” market.
To read Consumer Watchdog brief — click  [...]

Read our AOL op-ed on net neutrality and how it will do more harm and good for American consumers …  
http://www.sphere.com/opinion/article/debate-dont-mess-with-net-success-by-imposing-net-neutrality-rules/19314409
 

The Public Option is Here for Property Insurance
 
When someone knowingly sells property insurance, but has no financial backing to pay insurance claims, it is fraud.  But when state insurance commissioners, like those in Florida and most recently in Texas, encourage insolvent insurance operations, it is just politics, and taxpayers and consumers are left to pay the difference. 
 
A couple of [...]

The FCC is thinking of proposing rules to regulate the Internet, but there are no market failures to justify such regulation.  Read Dr. Larry F. Darby’s ConsumerGram for the details … nn-and-market-failuare

There was (on the surface) good news from the BLS Employment Situation Report today – jobs fell by only 11,000 and the unemployment rate decreased from 10.2% to 10% from October to November.   That’s good news right? 
 
Here is something that you won’t get from the news reports ….
A closer look at the unemployment rate shows that [...]

Three Consumers address: how Internet regulations would harm the environment, by reducing broadband access to telecomuting, teleconferencing, distance learning and other applications; how Internet regulations would reduce consumer welfare; and how regulations that limit price discrimination would harm consumers and reduce network investment.  To read ConsumerGrams click on the links below:
On the envirnoment … nn-and-the-environment
On the Effects [...]

See this article on MSNBC at  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34006530/
For ABC15 in Phoenix see http://www.abc15.com/content/news/investigators/consumeralerts/story/How-to-find-a-printer-that-wont-cost-you-BIG-to/NCHokd0DNUuMMhyIjBiJpw.cspx?p=2

You can view the letter here

Much of the quest for developing a nationwide broadband plan has centered on ubiquitous deployment and online speeds, some arguing for speeds well over 100 mbps.  Other policy wonks have argued that we need more competitors and still others want lower prices.  In response to one Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) attempt to slowdown bandwidth hogs [...]