R.E.M. Supplies Song For Mockumentary

R.E.M., Death Cab for Cutie and Spoon are among the acts contributing songs to the short film The Internet Must Go.

Producers of the mockumentary say the film "uses Stephen Colbert-style interviews with Internet luminaries and humor to expose the absurdity of familiar arguments against net neutrality." The film was released on Monday to "coincide with oral arguments in Verizon's lawsuit to remove open Internet protections."

The gist of the debate is that large Internet providers want the ability to limit what information is carried over their bandwith. For example, under the current law, Verizon isn't allowed to interfere with streaming video on Netflix as a way of favoring its on-demand services. The Internet providers argue that open-Internet laws amount to government intervention in legitimate private enterprise.