Firstly, just to be clear: The Internet has always been free and it still should be. Only the open Internet is the Internet as we know it.

It is open because it uses free, publicly available standards that anyone can access and build to, and it treats all traffic that flows across the network in roughly the same way. The principle of the Open Internet is sometimes referred to as “net neutrality”. Under this principle, consumers can make their own choices about what applications and services to use and are free to decide what lawful content they want to access, create, or share with others. This openness promotes competition and enables investment and innovation.

As for me, a very important thing is that The Open Internet also makes it possible for anyone, anywhere to easily launch innovative applications and services, revolutionizing the way people communicate, participate, create, and do business—think of email, blogs, voice and video conferencing, streaming video, and online shopping. Once you are online, you do not have to ask permission or pay tolls to broadband providers to reach others on the network.  If you develop an innovative new website, you don’t have to get permission to share it with the world.

Millions of people could not have had chance to say what they think, in the past. They could not have had possibility to see, to say, to know… Today the Internet is the inexhaustible source of opportunities for all of us.

The Internet empowers everyone — anyone can speak, create, learn, and share. It is controlled by no one — no single organization, individual, or government. It connects the world. Today, more than two billion people are online — about a third of the planet.

www.google.com/takeaction

Fortunately, there are a lot of things posted as free content and you can enjoy it. YOUTUBE gives you opportunity to see, hear and feel everything what is happening in the world, by Internet exchanging of information, which is regulated, as much as it can be (It also has some imperfections, but about it another time…)

However…

We must be aware that some rights have to be respected and recognized as a protected copyright work. In another hand, it is important to say that respecting of copyright work does not jeopardize the open internet concept.

So, before you download a movie, a song or a photo form the Internet, and use it for free, try to think about a production process of that work.

It took a lot of money, time, energy and someone’s talent and sweat, probably much more than we can imagine, to reach that form of a work, as we use it.

Also, I am pretty sure that the best movies and songs which we have liked for years would not be done without a support of the audience. Without the support, some enthusiast can make one, or two songs or album, or make one or two cheap films, but he would give up soon. Probably, because he would has to work in a plant or a warehouse to pay bills.

To conclude, I know, it might be difficult to resist of piracy or foolish, someone would say, but if you pay for a good work, its author would be able to do more and better.

And the most important thing: The Internet will still stay open and free.

Dragan Milic, Attorney at law

www.milic.rs