The President continued his preview of the State of the Union address on January 14, 2015 by announcing that among the top priorities for this year will be “removing barriers” for faster Internet speeds.
Net Neutrality Strikes Back
During the first week following its release on November 28, more than 42 million people had watched the trailer for “Star Wars VII – The Force Awakens.” It was a reminder that every time it appears either the Empire or the Republic are defeated, the vanquished side rises with renewed energy. Fittingly, the trailer appeared […]
Innovation = Jobs
Innovation creates jobs. That is the central premise of Jay Walker’s keynote address, “Making Innovation Work for America and Americans,” at the first meeting of the IP Dealmakers Forum on November 6, 2014. The forum linked investors together with intellectual property (IP) information and opportunities. Walker’s speech is particularly timely given the release on November […]
New CAGW Report on Intellectual Property
On November 17, 2014, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) will release its latest report, “Intellectual Property: Making It Personal.” Co-authored by CAGW President Tom Schatz and Director of Technology and Telecommunications Policy Deborah Collier, the report describes the positive effects of intellectual property (IP) for individuals, companies, and the U.S. economy, as well as the negative consequences of IP theft.
On Title II, Just Say No to FCC Overreach
Back in the 1980s, First Lady Nancy Reagan had a slogan to go with her anti-drug campaign, “Just Say No.” Perhaps this same slogan should be used in the ongoing debate over the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) efforts on net neutrality and Title II reclassification of the Internet. On November 10, 2014, the White House […]
Marketplace Fairness Is Not A Fair Option
On July 15, 2014, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 3086, the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act. This legislation would make the current moratorium on Internet access taxes, which was first enacted by Congress in 1998. However, Democratic leaders in the Senate allowed the bill to languish in an effort to appease a few […]
The Cloud: Two-Year Review
The federal government spends more than $80 billion each year on information technology. In 2010, the federal chief information officer issued guidance to government agencies requiring them to adopt cloud computing tools when replacing systems, and to move at least three existing services to the cloud. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued the 25 Point Implementation Plan to Reform Federal Information Technology Management (25-Point Plan), also in 2010, which required agencies to consider cloud computing options for all new IT acquisitions.
Satellite TV Bill Moves Forward in the Senate
On September 17, 2014, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved S. 2799, the Satellite Television and View Rights Act (STAVRA), which would extend for five years the Satellite Television Access Reauthorization Act. The current authorization expires on December 31, 2014. While one would think this would only be of interest to users […]
ISPs Are Not Common Carriers
Since the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued its decision in Verizon v. Federal Communications Commission on January 14, 2014, there has been a big push to reclassify the Internet as a Title II telecommunications service. Unfortunately, many who have been raising this call don’t understand what that would mean.
CAGW Files Comments on Net Neutrality Order
On July 7, 2014, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) President Tom Schatz filed public comments on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) May 15, 2014 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding net neutrality.