Digital Freedom Campaign and Free Press Join Forces.

Partnership Seeks to Ensure Protection of Open Internet and Consumer, Artist and Innovator Rights in Digital Age

WASHINGTON -- The Digital Freedom Campaign, a broad-based coalition dedicated to defending the rights of artists, consumers and innovators in the Digital Age, today announced its partnership with Free Press, a national, nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting universal access to communications. Free Press will join a growing, national call for an open and diverse Internet, one that prohibits corporate interests from controlling users' online experience.

"Free Press, as a true leader in protecting the Open Internet, brings hundreds of thousands of voices to the Digital Freedom Campaign's call to protect the rights of consumers, artists and innovators in the Digital Age," said Maura Corbett, spokesperson for the Digital Freedom Campaign. "Unlike other groups out there suggesting that the Internet be filtered, monitored and controlled, both of our organizations feel strongly that it is not the role of our government to favor one industry over another, protect one business model over another or ensure the success of one technology at the expense of the rest," Corbett continued. "And so, this partnership is a natural, and an Open Internet is at its core."

"The Digital Freedom Campaign champions the idea that no corporate interest should come between users and the open Internet," said Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press. "The Internet's open design ensures that users are free to run whatever legal content and applications they want, from the array of choices that others are free to offer. The future of online innovation depends on protecting this permission-free marketplace."

Free Press and members of the Digital Freedom Campaign look forward to collaborating on their work with policymakers, content and technology companies to find real and meaningful solutions to copyright reform in the Digital Age. This reform must include fair compensation for artists, balanced protections of intellectual property as well as the free flow of information and equal protection of consumer and innovator rights.

"The government's only job should be to protect the right to innovate, and let the market decide the rest," continued Corbett. "Abandoning those principles is not worth any price. Protecting those fundamentals is everything."

About Digital Freedom: Digital technology enables literally anyone and everyone to be a creator, an innovator or an artist - to produce music, to create cutting-edge videos and photos, and to share their creative work. Digital technology empowers individuals to enjoy these new works when, where, and how they want, and to participate in the artistic process. These are basic freedoms that must be protected and nurtured. The Digital Freedom Campaign is dedicated to defending the rights of students, artists, innovators, and consumers to create and make lawful use of new technologies free of unreasonable government restrictions and without fear of costly and abusive lawsuits. For more information visit us at http://www.digitalfreedom.org.

About Free Press: Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Through education, organizing and advocacy, we promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media, and universal access to communications. Learn more at www.freepress.net.