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From Reuters: Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) wants to block an effort for a shareholder vote forcing the world's largest software maker to explain its support for Internet network neutrality, according to a company letter obtained by Reuters on Tuesday.
The Free Enterprise Action Fund, a mutual fund that says it offers both financial and ideological returns, wants Microsoft shareholders to seek a report on the company's rationale for backing Net neutrality, which the group says would result in "expanded government regulation of the Internet." Actually, we would settle for a good definition of Microsoft's understanding of the term "net neutrality." If Microsoft means that ISPs should follow RAND principles (Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory), fine. If it wants ISPs to follow Microsoft's recent Windows Principles, and guarantee that they will not disadvantage aps that compete with their own offerings, probably also fine (with a question mark about integration issues). If it means speciifically to apply its own Tenet No. 8: "Open Internet access. Microsoft will design and license Windows so that it does not block access to any lawful Web site or impose any fee for reaching any non-Microsoft Web site or using any non-Microsoft Web service," no problem. On the other hand, if NN is interepreted to mean that ISPs cannot offer different levels of service, or cannot distinguish between medical X-rays and spam -- you're nuts.
So tell us, and the shareholders, what you mean.
posted by James DeLong @ 11:36 AM | Telecom
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