Financial Times: A threat to innovation on the web. Lawrence Lessig. But increasingly, the providers of internet connectivity are pushing a different principle. US broadband companies are trying to ensure that they have the power to decide which applications and content can run. [Tomalak's Realm]

This seems like an important development in the evolution of the Internet and the Internet economy.  Sure everybody wants their cut, but ultimately the end consumer has to pay for it.  Freedom to use the Internet (network) how I choose is the whole reason I opt for DSL instead of Road Runner cable Internet access.  Road Runner does not allow running web servers or having a static IP without using their expensive "Business Class" service.  That is exactly why I don't use Road Runner, and I hope someone reads this.  I'm by no means a big shot business person, but the odds of me ever becoming one have a lot to do with the cost of doing business.  For me, using DSL to host my own web sites allows me to have control over content and delivery method, while still keeping costs at a reasonable level.

Sometimes I wonder if the nature of the Internet up to this point in time will turn out to be a short-lived "utopian" phase that was ultimately destroyed by stronger, darker forces of government regulation and corporate greed.