On January 29, 2014, the Global Intellectual Property Center released its second annual intellectual property index, rating how various countries around the world performed on protecting intellectual property (IP). The points were awarded six categories: Patents, Related Rights, and Limitations (7 points); Copyrights, Related Rights and Limitations (6 points); Trademarks, Related Rights, and limitations (5 […]
Opening up Wi-Fi to the Internet of Things
Over the weekend, a high school freshman printed a history report; a man researched job postings over the Internet on his tablet; a family watched a TV show on their laptop while waiting for an appointment; and, a woman talked to her mother on her home’s cordless phone. All of these actions used unlicensed spectrum […]
A Picture of Real FCC Reform
Even in successful industries such as communications, the government’s regulatory burdens have an adverse impact on innovation and growth. The cost of compliance is high and often passed along to consumers in the form of fees and additional taxes. On December 3, 2013, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) announced that the […]
TV Viewing for the Next Generation
Today’s TV viewing options are much different than when Congress passed the Cable Act of 1992. This Act was passed in response to cable television rate increases following deregulation, a lack of competition in the cable marketplace and the concern of broadcasters that their local stations would not be carried by cable companies. The law […]
Freeing Up Government Held Spectrum
On December 11, 2013, the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted to approve a bi-partisan measure that would provide incentives to federal agencies to free up more spectrum. The federal government is the largest holder of spectrum below the 3 GHz range. According to the National Telecommunications and Information Agency, the U.S. government currently has […]
GAO Reports Highlight Continued Deficiencies in IT Reporting
The federal government is expected to spend $81 billion in information technology (IT) in fiscal year 2014. Management and effectively monitoring IT investments is critical during this time when budgets are constrained by sequestration.
IP Summit 2013 Highlights Protecting Intellectual Property
On Friday, November 8, 2013, I had the opportunity to attend IP Summit 2013, hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Intellectual Property Center. This daylong conference highlighted the importance of protecting intellectual property (IP) from counterfeiting, theft, and black market merchandising. When talking about the protection of IP, few understand the full breadth […]
Public Utility Model Doesn’t Hold Traction for Broadband
On November 4, 2013, a study released by Reason Foundation found that government-owned broadband networks (GONs) do not provide the value that cities and towns hope to achieve. According to the study, which focused primarily on the Lafayette Utility Service (LUS) in Lafayette, Louisiana, plans for broadband GONs are developed using the same budgeting model […]
Computer Glitches or Poor Program Management
According to a July 17, 2013 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had obligated $303.4 million (77 percent of its total obligations for Obamacare) to establish the healthcare data hub, provide information technology support for federal employees working on the healthcare exchange, the Healthcare.gov website, and a healthcare […]
Court Begins Hearing on Net Neutrality
The notion of equality on the Internet may sound reasonable, but net neutrality, as defined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is instead an attack on private-sector business models. Proponents of net neutrality want the online world to be forced “open” at the expense of successful Internet providers, but fail to recognize the many tradeoffs to “openness,” such as increased spam, fewer privacy controls, slower service, and, perhaps most importantly, decreased incentives for investment and innovation.