Petition to Deny the Applications of America Online, Inc and Time Warner, Inc. for Transfers of Control

The groups do not dispute that AOL and Time Warner have sought to create a new form of business venture, which, if properly structured, might produce certain social benefits. However, for the Commission to make the requisite finding that this transaction is in the public interest, the AOL Time Warner combination would have to be significantly restructured and certain business practices, interoperability standards that they currently employ must be modified or restricted. Otherwise, the optimal free speech and competitive benefits of communications technology may never be realized.