Musicians back Net neutrality laws

Last year it was Moby who descended on Capitol Hill to lobby for so-called Net neutrality laws. Now a new group composed of musicians like R.E.M., Sarah McLachlan, Barenaked Ladies and Kronos Quartet has joined the fight.

The campaign, called "Rock the Net," is the latest attempt at getting Congress to pass legislation barring network operators like Verizon and AT&T from charging extra fees to shuttle Web content.

Extra fees threaten to "freeze out" lesser-known artists and labels and give music listeners fewer choices, the group of musicians maintains. (Opponents contend such laws would sideline critically important business models and lead to decreased investment in new broadband infrastructure.)

Sound familiar? A number of high-profile musicians, including some of the same names rallying behind the newest effort, also signed an "Artists and Musicians for Internet Freedom" petition last spring with an eye toward a similar goal.

A Republican-controlled Congress went on to reject repeatedly a number of Democratic-backed proposals that had the support of Net neutrality advocates, which also include Google, eBay, Amazon.com and a diverse array of advocacy groups.

A Net neutrality proposal has already resurfaced in the U.S. Senate this year but taken a back seat to myriad other issues, including the firing of U.S. attorneys and the Iraq War. Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), a major last year, said he plans to hold a series of hearings this year in his House of Representatives subcommittee.