Amid the cacophony of reactions to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski's proposed internet openness rules, one group has been conspicuously absent — the world's largest internet companies.

Not any more.

On Thursday, the Open Internet Coalition, a diverse interest group that represents Google, Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, Skype, Amazon, eBay, and scores of other internet-dependent companies, will run ads in two prominent Washington, D.C., publications — Politico and The Hill — expressing their displeasure with Chairman Genachowski's new compromise rules.

The Open Internet Coalition participated in the now-infamous closed-door talks held by FCC Chief of Staff Edward Lazarus last summer. It didn't end well. Markham Erickson, the respected tech policy lawyer who is Executive Director of the OIC, confirmed the authenticity of the ads in a phone conversation with Wired.com Wednesday evening.

In their ads, for which the group paid tens of thousands of dollars, OIC makes a simple point: What Chairman Genachowski is proposing isn't real net neutrality.

This is the ad copy (emphasis original):

"President Obama promised to protect the open internet," the ad reads. "That means no gatekeepers. That means no internet access providers building toll roads or blocking traffic."

Here the group is making a not-so veiled reference to Comcast, which this week startled internet users after the cable giant got into a screaming match with backbone provider Level 3 over streaming video.

"It's called net neutrality, and it's not a new regulation. It's the way the internet has always worked."

Here the group is trying to make the point that net neutrality is the de facto standard on the web – which is why a lot of people take it for granted. The Open Internet Coalition wants to keep it that way.

"Our companies, public internet groups, and millions of Americans are united in support of real Net Neutrality without paid prioritization that applies to wired and wireless connections."

Here OIC is taking a shot at Chairman Genachowski over what the group sees as a wimpy stance. Real net neutrality is code for "Title II" re-classification, which apparently scares the bejeezus out of Genachowski. That would have put ISPs like Comcast in the same regulatory category as the phone company, and left no doubt as to its authority to prevent abusive behavior by the companies that control the nation's internet pipes.

"The FCC is poised to act. We join President Obama in our support of real Net Neutrality. Americans should expect nothing less."

Ok, thanks for clearing that up guys.

Full list of OIC members after the jump:

Adaptive Marketing LLC

Aegon Direct Marketing Services

Amazon

American Association of Law Libraries

American Civil Liberties Union

American Library Association

Anglebeds.com

Ask.com

Association of Research Libraries

Bloglines

Chemistry.com

Circumedia LLC

Citysearch

CollegeHumor

Computer & Communications Industry Association

Cornerstone Brands, Inc.

Data Foundry

Domania

Downstream

Dreamsleep.com

Dresses.com

Earthlink

eBay

Educause

Electronic Retailing Association

Entertainment Publications

Evite

Facebook

Free Press

GetSmart

Gifts.com

GoGawGaw

Google

Hawthorne Direct

HomeLoanCenter.com

HSN

IAC

Iceland Health Inc.

iNest

InPulse Response

Internet2

Interval International

iWon

LendingTree

Livemercial

Match.com

Media Access Project

Media Partners Worldwide

Mercury Media

Merrick Group

NationalBlinds.com

Net Coalition

Netflix

New America Foundation

North Texas Technology Council

PayPal

Product Partners

Pronto.com

Public Knowledge

RealEstate.com

ReserveAmerica

Savvier

ServiceMagic

Shoebuy.com

Shopping.com

Skype

Sling Media

Sony Electronics, Inc.

StubHub

Success in the City

TechNet

Ticketmaster

TiVo

Tonystickets.com

Tranquilitymattress.com

Twitter

US PIRG

Vanguard

Washington Bureau for ISP Advocacy

Windward Instruments

YouTube

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