On February 25, 2016, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing to discuss the impact of international law on the privacy of information that crosses borders. However, the discussion at the hearing continually came back to a domestic issue: the need for Congress to update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (ECPA) in order to address the disparity between ECPA and the changes in technology since the law was enacted.
The FCC Should Keep Its Hands Out of Our Wallets
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seems to be taking a fast and furious ride through America’s pockets lately. The FCC, under the helm of Chairman Tom Wheeler, announced plans to expand the Lifeline program to give away broadband Internet subsidies to low-income individuals. What this means for the average consumer is an increase in their telephone bills, by requiring the payment of higher contributions to the Universal Service Fund (USF).
Broadband Fiction versus Fact
Every year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is required to report to Congress the progress being made in deploying advanced communications services in the U.S. On January 29, 2016, the FCC released its latest review of broadband deployment in the U.S.
AllVid Not All It’s Cracked Up To Be
After imposing antiquated Title II regulations on the Internet, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is trying to take the next step in regulating every aspect of telecommunications. Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler wants to mandate technical standards for set-top boxes that will ultimately hurt consumers by stifling innovation that is already moving towards eliminating the need for these boxes entirely. Just as technology is being developed to send the set-top box the way of the dodo, the chairman and his supporters at the FCC are acting like a bunch of dodos and trying to keep them in homes across the country.
Spring Cleaning at the Federal Government
Like many people who have overstuffed closets, cupboards, and garages filled with items they don’t remember buying, never needed, and never used, the federal government has a large inventory of useless things in storage that it didn’t need and doesn’t use. As home organizers often recommend, sorting in boxes is usually helpful – a box to keep, a box to discard, a box to fix, and a box to donate. While the government can’t exactly sort its enormous inventory into boxes, it can and should keep better track of the inventory it has purchased, as well as how these items are used.
2016 IP Index Offers “Infinite Possibilities”
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.