On February 10, 2016, the U.S Chamber of Commerce released its fourth annual IP index, Infinite Possibilities, which reviews and rates intellectual property (IP) rights and protections around the world.
A Twentieth Anniversary Not Worth Celebrating
In 1996, Bill Clinton resided in the White House; science produced the first cloned mammal, a sheep named Dolly; folks were dancing the Macarena; and the Simpsons became the longest running prime-time animated series. Unfortunately, not all twenty year flashbacks are as much fun because in 1996, cell phones were the size of a brick and performed two functions — calling people and text messaging; the Internet was merely a blip on the radar; and, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was enacted.
Congressional Insanity: Holding ITFA Hostage to MFA
When members of Congress impede the passage of popular legislation in order to attach something totally unrelated, the results are usually harmful to the American people. The ongoing effort to tie together a permanent ban on Internet access taxes with an online sales tax scheme is just the latest example of this unfortunate practice.
Broadband as a Moving Target
On January 29, 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) redefined what constitutes minimum standards for broadband access, raising the bar from the original standard of 4 Megabytes per second (Mbps) for download speeds, and 1 Mbps for upload speeds, to 25 Mbps download speeds and 3 Mbps upload speeds.
Gadgets, Gizmos, Spectrum and IP
On January 6, the 2016 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicks off in Las Vegas, Nevada. This annual event showcases a multitude of devices and inventions, demonstrating the ingenuity and entrepreneurship of inventors across a wide range of fields.
When the Federal Government Goes Too Far
On February 2, 2015, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler released a statement supporting federal preemption of state laws that restrict municipal broadband networks. On February 26, 2015, two other FCC commissioners agreed with the Chairman, and voted to overturn laws in North Carolina and Tennessee that restricted local municipalities’ ability to build government owned networks. Both states filed suit in March 2015 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit to have the FCC’s decision overturned.
Running Down the Clock on Internet Taxes
Nothing like waiting until the last minute to do something important. That is exactly what is happening on the Hill this week. The Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) is set once again to expire at midnight on December 11, 2015. Since 1992, when the general public was given access to the Internet, the use of […]
IAB Report Finds IP Infringement Costs Economy Billions
There are some individuals who view intellectual property (IP), particularly movies, videos, and music as free for the taking; illegally posting and distributing content online without any regard to the impact such actions have on the creators and owners of the IP. This sad state of affairs was detailed last year in Citizens Against Government […]
The Spectrum Dilemma
An April 1, 2015 Pew Research Center study found that 64 percent of Americans own a Smartphone, and 19 percent “rely to some degree” on their Smartphones to access online services and information. The study also found that 7 percent of Americans owning a Smartphone do not have either traditional broadband access at home or other “easily available alternatives” for going online. On October 29, 2015, Pew released its report, “Technology Device Ownership: 2015,” which found that 68 percent of U.S. adults now own a Smartphone.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership and Intellectual Property
On October 5, 2015, negotiations for the TPPA concluded and a summary of the 30 chapters of the agreement was released. Chapter 18 of the agreement specifically discusses the rights and responsibilities of each TPP member nation in protecting IP. The 12 TPPA member nations are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam.