Questions Remain On Intellectual Property Bill
File Under: News, Copyright
Mar 6, 2008
Washington, D.C. – The intellectual property legislation approved by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property today could have been worse and could have been better, according to the Computer & Communications Industry Association. CCIA is pleased that the Subcommittee removed from H.R. 4279 some of the more troubling elements, like one that would have unnecessarily increased statutory damages.
“The subcommittee wisely avoided a big mistake,” said CCIA President & CEO Ed Black, referring to the deletion of the statutory damages provision. “I hope that decision is not reversed at a later stage.”
CCIA Monitors Copyright Overreaching
File Under: News, Copyright
Feb 25, 2008
Washington, D.C. – The Computer and Communications Industry Association is encouraged by the response it received from a complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission on consumer fair use and misrepresentations made by copyright holders.
“We are pleased with the statements of the FTC that acknowledge the risks to consumer rights,” said CCIA President & CEO Ed Black. “The FTC letter issues an early warning to copyright owners that they are not immune from consumer protection laws and that the FTC will be monitoring the situation.”
MPAA “Piracy” Study Flawed and Dangerous, CCIA Says
File Under: News, Copyright
Jan 23, 2008
WASHINGTON -- A 2005 study commissioned by the movie industry inflated drastically a key estimate of the economic cost of on-campus file sharing by students, content industry representatives confessed today. According to press reports, the misleading numbers over-represented the cost of college file sharing by a factor of three.
“These erroneous figures have provided a foundation for flawed policy,” CCIA President & CEO Ed Black said. “This secret study influenced important intellectual property policy decisions. Now we see why such studies must be transparent, rather than ‘closed-source.’ "
CCIA Expresses Concerns over Intellectual Property Bill
File Under: 2007, News, Copyright
Dec 6, 2007
Washington, DC - Responding to yesterday's introduction of H.R. 4279, the "Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2007" (PROIPA) in the House of Representatives, Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) President & CEO Ed Black expressed concerns about the legislation. The following statement may be attributed to Mr. Black:
CCIA: Fox News owes McCain and American Voters an Apology
File Under: News, 2007, Copyright
Oct 26, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Background: Sen. John McCain is using 19 seconds of video featuring himself as part of a campaign ad. The snippet, taken from a debate hosted by Fox News, clearly lies within the realm of lawful and fair use of Fox News’ broadcast. Fox, nonetheless, has demanded that the McCain campaign cease using footage of its own candidate. The following should be attributed to Computer & Communications Industry Association President & CEO Ed Black.
“Fox’s assertion that Sen. John McCain has violated its copyrights by using 19 seconds of a presidential debate in a campaign ad shows once again how far the credibility of Big Content has fallen.
CCIA Concerned Over YouTube Content Identification Tool
File Under: News, 2007, Copyright
Oct 16, 2007
Background: Google Inc. today announced on its policy blog that it would begin examining video clips uploaded to the YouTube video service for copyright infringement following intense pressure to do so by copyright holders. Among other things, the company will compare key components of videos uploaded to the system by third parties to copyrighted content submitted by content owners.
In case of a match, YouTube is expected to block video clips that appear to infringe. A dispute resolution process would likely follow, one which may in some cases allow a reposting. However, the details of the process and operations by which YouTube, the uploader, and the content copyright claimant will interact have not been fully revealed.
The following statement should be attributed to Computer & Communications Industry Association President & CEO Ed Black:
“This service goes above and beyond what companies such as YouTube are legally required to do. This service could harm the dynamic and democratic flow of information on the Internet if implemented without due regard for the interests of consumers and other authors and artists.
Fair Use Economy Represents One-Sixth of U.S. GDP
File Under: News, 2007, Copyright, CCIA
Sep 12, 2007
WASHINGTON D.C. - Fair Use exceptions to U.S. copyright laws are responsible for more than $4.5 trillion in annual revenue for the United States, according to the findings of an unprecedented economic study released today. According to the study commissioned by the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and conducted in accordance with a World Intellectual Property Organization methodology, companies benefiting from limitations on copyright-holders’ exclusive rights, such as “fair use” – generate substantial revenue, employ millions of workers, and, in 2006, represented one-sixth of total U.S. GDP.
The exhaustive report, released today at a briefing on Capitol Hill, quantifies for the first time ever the critical contributions of fair use to the U.S. economy. The timing proves particularly important as the debates over copyright law in the digital age move increasingly to center stage on Capitol Hill.
CCIA Defends Fair Use, Criticizes Frivolous Suit Against Microsoft by Adult Site
File Under: News, 2007, Copyright
Aug 10, 2007
WASHINGTON - Perfect 10, a litigious adult entertainment publisher, sued Microsoft yesterday, claiming that the company infringed copyright by not policing its search engine for unauthorized copies of images.
In response, CCIA President and CEO Ed Black called Microsoft’s creation of thumbnail-sized images for search purposes lawful, and a fair use of others’ copyrighted works.
“Many industry players rely on Fair Use to provide innovative services and fend off frivolous suits. Widespread claims such as Perfect 10’s, if accepted, would bring the Internet to a halt,” CCIA President & CEO Ed Black said. “The infrastructure of the information economy simply will not function properly if Internet companies have to devote unlimited amounts of time to policing other people’s copyrights.” In recognition of this burden, the safe harbors provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act provides an exclusive, expedited remedy for companies such as Perfect 10 to resolve their copyright concerns without resorting to litigation, Black said.
CCIA Files FTC Complaint against NBC/Universal, MLB, the NFL and Others Alleging Years of Consumer Deception
File Under: News, 2007, CCIA, Copyright
Aug 1, 2007
The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) announced today that it has filed a Federal Trade Commission complaint on behalf of consumers against Major League Baseball, the National Football League, NBC/Universal and several other corporations. CCIA alleges that the named corporations have misled consumers for years, often misrepresenting their rights through deceptive and threatening statements. The complaint, part of CCIA’s newly sponsored DefendFairUse.org initiative, is aimed at exposing how media and sports organizations have systematically misled consumers with regard to their legal rights to use content, and to protect those rights in the digital age.
“Every one of us has seen or heard that copyright warning at the beginning of a sports game, DVD or book,” said Ed Black, CCIA President and CEO, during a press conference at the National Press Club. “These corporations use these warnings not to educate their consumers, but to intimidate them.”
CCIA Cautions Court Against Misapplying Copyright to Innovative New Services
File Under: News, 2007, Copyright
Jun 9, 2007
CCIA joined a broadly supported amicus brief today in Twentieth Century Fox v. CSC Holdings, Inc. (‘Cablevision’) warning a federal appeals court against rewriting copyright rules for computer networks and online service providers.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is scheduled to review a lower court finding that Cablevision directly infringed copyrights by offering a remote digital video recording (DVR) service to its subscribers. Rather than a typical in-home DVR such as TiVo, Cablevision’s service records and stores a requested television show at a central location and sends the programming to the consumer over the network at a later time.
CCIA Supports Patent Reform, Warns of Self-Interested Patent Institutions
File Under: News, 2007, Copyright
Jun 6, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Congress should discount criticism of patent reform emanating from the US Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, The Computer & Communications Industry Association said today.
“CCIA strongly supports the reform legislation,” CCIA President and CEO Ed Black said. “Real reform requires changing not just symptoms but also causes, including agencies responsible for problems with the operation of the patent system. As many have observed, patent institutions have their own, self-interested perspectives on the patent system.”
(CCIA's entire statement on PTO and Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit can be found here: <http://www.ccianet.org/docs/patent/CCIA_Statement_on_CAFC_and_PTO.pdf>)
CCIA: Victory in Perfect 10 case, Fair Use, Industry, Consumers Win
File Under: News, 2007, Copyright
May 16, 2007
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit today largely vindicated Google Inc. and Amazon in a copyright infringement case brought over thumbnail-sized photos that appear in their search engines. The Court reached this conclusion for a number of reasons including this simple fact: Google’s and Amazon's search services crawl the entire World Wide Web and indexes it publicly unless site owners give the search engines clear instructions otherwise.
CCIA filed an amicus brief in support of Google and Amazon in Perfect 10 v. Amazon along with other tech. trade associations.
CCIA: Outlandish Copyright Proposals Breed Contempt, Undermine IP Law
File Under: News, 2007, Copyright
May 15, 2007
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' proposed copyright overhaul on behalf of the nation's record companies would in fact undermine intellectual property law, the Computer & Communications Industry Association said today.
Language sent to Capitol Hill by the Attorney General would enact dangerous and bizarre changes to copyright law. Among other things, the proposal would:
CCIA Responds to Microsoft's Saber Rattling on Patents
File Under: News, 2007, Copyright
May 14, 2007
CCIA President and CEO Ed Black today expressed grave concern about authoritative statements from a Microsoft official that Linux and other key open source software programs violate Microsoft patents. Microsoft made the statements in interviews with Fortune Magazine.
“Microsoft’s assertion that developers of open source software like Linux and OpenOffice owe royalties for use of ‘its’ technologies is very troubling,” Black said. “The company hints it will demand payment from developers and, just maybe, end users in government and business. This sort of talk is as shocking as it is baseless, and likely based on patents that are questionable at best.
CCIA’s Black: Copyright Holders Need to Think Before They Sue
File Under: News, 2007, Copyright
May 7, 2007
Washington -- Two companies that have filed suit against YouTube and Google should have done their homework before firing off federal class actions, the Computer & Communications Industry Association said today.
In papers filed Friday, England’s Football Association Premier League and Bourne Co. each accused YouTube and Google of intentionally hosting video that allegedly violates their copyrights. YouTube, they claimed, was profiting at their expense.
In response, CCIA President and CEO Ed Black issued the following statement:
Supreme Court and KSR: CCIA Calls it Most Pro-Innovation Ruling in Years
File Under: Copyright, 2007, News
Apr 30, 2007
Washington, DC - The Computer & Communications Industry Association hailed a unanimous decision by the Supreme Court of the United States this morning in KSR International v. Teleflex to restore the standard of what is patentable under U.S. patent law. The so-called “nonobviousness” standard had been so eroded by lower courts that patent applicants routinely obtained exclusive rights over obvious and mundane activities. As a result, ‘junk’ patents now litter the innovation environment, increasing costs and litigation.
CCIA President Calls for End to Industry Warfare over Patent System
File Under: Copyright, News, 2007
Apr 27, 2007
With the debate over patent reform back in full swing, CCIA President & CEO Ed Black responded to a statement by the president of BIO. “We understand how valuable patents are to biotechnology and pharmaceuticals,” said Black. “But instead of forcing IT into their vision of the patent system, we urge these industries to work collaboratively to design a more flexible system that can optimize innovation across all sectors of the economy.”
CCIA Applauds Introduction of FAIR USE Act of 2007
File Under: 2007, Copyright, News
Feb 27, 2007
Washington, D.C. - The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) hailed today the introduction of H.R. 1201, the Freedom And Innovation Revitalizing U.S. Entrepreneurship Act of 2007. The bill proposes modifications to the U.S. Copyright Act that are designed to foster fair use rights that promote creativity without discouraging technological innovation.
"This legislation demonstrates that Representatives Boucher, Doolittle, and Lofgren have their finger on the pulse of our digital future," said CCIA President and CEO Ed Black.
CCIA Hails House Vote on Pilot Patent Program for District Courts
File Under: 2007, Copyright, News
Feb 12, 2007
Washington, DC – The Computer & Communications Industry Association applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for passing H.R. 34 today, which encourages the development of expertise in patent cases among federal district judges. The legislation establishes specialized patent programs in selected federal district courts around the country, and provides for training and specialized law clerks for judges participating in these programs. The bill also calls for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to report on the effectiveness of the program. By requiring the collection of data on reversal rates and times to judgment, the bill will assist Congress in evaluating the efficacy of the program.
CCIA's Black Applauds Supreme Court Decision to Throw Out Rule Protecting Junk Patents
File Under: 2007, Copyright, News
Jan 7, 2007
Washington, D.C. - Commenting on the Supreme Court's 8-1 reversal of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in today's patent case, MedImmune Inc. v. Genentech Inc. (No. 05-608), Ed Black, President and CEO of the Computer & Communications Industry Association said, "Yet again, the Supreme Court has thrown out a ruling that perpetuates dysfunctions in the patent system." He added, "This marks yet another occasion where the Court has clamped down on the Federal Circuit's wayward jurisprudence.
CCIA Applauds Agency’s Defense of Cybersecurity
File Under: 2006, Cybersecurity, Copyright
Nov 22, 2006
Washington, D.C. – A ruling today by the Librarian of Congress will protect cybersecurity, the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) said. The ruling, called for by CCIA in testimony earlier this year, permits a person to ‘circumvent’ digital locks on compact discs that create computer security vulnerabilities when investigating or correcting those vulnerabilities. Previously, such acts – even if intended to protect computer security – were prohibited by the controversial Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
CCIA Hosts Panel, Releases Report on Patent Crisis and Reform
File Under: 2006, Copyright
Nov 1, 2006
Washington, D.C. – Today the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) hosted a briefing seminar on Capitol Hill and released a new report on the current patent crisis and how to reform the system.
CCIA To Hold Lunchtime Panel Discussion on Patents
File Under: 2006, Copyright
Oct 23, 2006
Washington, D.C. - A panel discussion entitled "Patents: What Went Wrong; What’s Next" will be hosted on November 1st, 2006, by the Computer & Communications Industry Association on Capitol Hill in the Rayburn House office building, room B-369 from 12:00 to 1:30pm.
CCIA Weighs in on Online Content
File Under: 2006, Copyright
Oct 13, 2006
The Computer & Communications Industry Association filed comments today in response to a public questionnaire issued on by the European Commission Directorate General Information Society and Media in its ongoing public consultation on online content. The comments addressed matters including broadband deployment, copyright, digital rights management, and interoperability.
CCIA to Supreme Court: Free Innovators From Junk Patents
File Under: 2006, Copyright
Oct 4, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, D.C. - As the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the patent case MedImmune v. Genentech today, the Computer & Communications Industry Association called for the nation’s high court to reverse a decision of the patent-specializing U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which has tied the hands of innovators who must contend with junk patents.
CCIA Warns Against Handing Innovation Policy to Patent Institutions
File Under: 2006, Copyright
Sep 26, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, DC - In a letter addressed to Members of the European Parliament, the Computer & Communications Industry Association bluntly warned against the creation of a system of patent courts under the auspices of the European Patent Organization and national patent agencies. "European policymakers are being asked to follow the U.S. model – a specialized patent appeals court – unadvised of the problems the U.S. model has created, especially for producers of software and information technology," warned Ed Black, President and CEO of CCIA.
CCIA Defends Google Image Search Against ‘Copyright Troll’
File Under: 2006, Copyright
Jul 20, 2006
The Computer & Communications Industry Association filed a ‘friend of the court’ brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit today, defending Google’s Image Search feature against accusations of copyright infringement. CCIA was joined by several associations representing the high-tech, consumer electronics, and telecommunications industries in defending innovation.
KSR International v. Teleflex, Inc.: Supreme Court Agrees to Weigh in on Obvious Patents; CCIA Praises Court’s Efforts
File Under: 2006, Copyright
Jun 26, 2006
The Supreme Court agreed to hear a case on patent “obviousness” today in an order granting certiorari. CCIA called for the Court to hear the case in testimony offered to the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts, Internet, and Intellectual Property in June 2005. CCIA also urged the Department of Justice to support certiorari in a recent letter to the U.S. Solicitor General. In a brief filed in May 2006, the Solicitor General recommended the Court hear the case in order to review the “Federal Circuit’s rigorous and inflexible [approach] that unnecessarily sustains patents that would otherwise be subject to invalidation as obvious.”
News Release: LabCorp v. Metabolite: Supreme Court Declines Opportunity to Define Boundaries of Patent Law; CCIA Disappointed by Decision
File Under: 2006, Copyright
Jun 22, 2006
For Immediate Release
In a closely watched patent case, the Supreme Court dismissed as improvidently granted an appeal of a lower court’s holding that merely thinking about two phenomena at the same time could be patented, held today. The Court’s dismissal of LabCorp v. Metabolite (No. 04-607) left standing a controversial decision from the specialized patent appeals court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The Court's order leaves undisturbed the Federal Circuit's decision that merely “correlating” a test result with a common vitamin deficiency infringed a patent held by Metabolite. The LabCorp case addressed the heart of the issue of patentability – a core question in patent law which divides unpatentable “abstract idea” from patentable processes. CCIA is dismayed that the Court declined this opportunity to restore meaningful boundaries to the ever-growing U.S. patent system.
CCIA Hails Supreme Courts’ Unanimous Decision to Repair Patent Injunctions
File Under: 2006, Copyright
Jun 15, 2006
For Immediate Release
"The Court's opinion wisely imposes a measure of reason on the dysfunctional patent system,” said Ed Black, President and CEO of the Computer & Communications Industry Association. CCIA has highlighted the Federal Circuit’s activism to the Supreme Court in amicus briefs on eBay v. MercExchange (05-130), as well as other intellectual property rights cases, and applauds the Court for clamping down on the Federal Circuit's wayward jurisprudence. CCIA believes this opinion should restore normality to injunction practice while assuaging the concerns of the pharmaceutical industry and independent inventors. Almost as importantly Black continued, “four of the Justices recognize that today’s complex, high-tech products and services can be held hostage by a handful of overly aggressive litigants. This may prove to be a watershed moment for our industry.”
CCIA Cautions WIPO Against Creating Exotic New Intellectual Property Rights for Broadcasters
File Under: 2006, Copyright
May 9, 2006
CCIA attended the meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) Standing Committee on Copyrights and Related Rights in Geneva, Switzerland, last week due to concerns over WIPO's proposed "Treaty for the Protection of Broadcasting Organizations."
CCIA Cautions European Commission Not to Repeat U.S. Mistakes in Its Patent System
File Under: 2006, Copyright
Mar 31, 2006
CCIA filed comments with the European Commission responding to a questionnaire o n the European patent system. The comments commended the Commission's willingness to address the fundamentals of patent policy, and cautioned the Commission not to reproduce aspects of the dysfunctional U.S. patent system.
View Comments here.
CCIA Defends Critical Infrastructure Before Copyright Office
File Under: 2006, Copyright
Mar 31, 2006
Copyright absolutists are hampering critical infrastructure protection, the Computer and Communications Industry Association told the US Copyright Office Friday.
CCIA testified as part of a periodic review of the controversial Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The 1998 law prohibits and in some cases criminalizes the breaking of digital locks that protect copyrighted content, even when done to test technology integral to defending computer networks against vandals, thieves and cyberterrorists. This aspect of the law has been roundly denounced by numerous computer-security experts since its passage.
CCIA Weighs In on European Antitrust Review
File Under: 2006, Copyright
Mar 31, 2006
CCIA submitted comments in response to the European Commission Directorate General for Competition's public request for views o n its discussion paper reviewing the framework for analyzing exclusionary conduct under Article 82 of the EC Treaty. CCIA's filing addressed analytical issues relevant to the high-tech industry, highlighting crucial issues such as network effects, open interfaces, and interoperability.
The comments can be viewed here.
RIM Settlement Shows Patent System Broken, CCIA Says
File Under: 2006, Copyright
Mar 6, 2006
WASHINGTON -- The nine-figure
settlement paid to keep Research In Motion's Blackberry service in
operation may be the first of many such levies placed o n innovation by
overly aggressive plaintiffs attorneys, officials of the Computer &
Communications Industry Association (CCIA) today.
"The outcome of this suit was bad, but here's something worse: Its
outcome was in many ways predictable. Patents today, far from
encouraging innovation in information technology, are actually
deterring it. There remains no doubt that the U.S. patent system is
broken," CCIA President and CEO Ed Black said.
Patent Court Needs Oversight, CCIA Tells Supreme Court
File Under: 2006, Copyright
Feb 9, 2006
The Supreme Court must reign in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Federal Circuit, the Computer & Communications Industry Association
argued in a “friend-of-the-court” brief yesterday. CCIA argued that
the specialized appellate court, created in 1982 with nearly exclusive
jurisdiction over patent appeals, has become a “booster of its own
specialty” and was responsible for many of the problems in patent law
today.
CCIA Urges Supreme Court to Address Business Method Patents
File Under: 2005, Copyright
Dec 23, 2005
Continuing its campaign to reform patent law, the Computer & Communications Industry Association told the Supreme Court today that the credibility of the U.S. patent system is at risk unless meaningful limits are placed on what is “patentable.”
CCIA Calls Upon Supreme Court to Rein in Patent Law
File Under: 2005, Copyright
Sep 27, 2005
Innovation is at risk unless federal courts change the way they handle patent litigation, the Computer & Communications Industry Association told the Supreme Court today.
In a filing presented late Monday, CCIA attorneys urged Justices to hear an appeal of an earlier ruling that enjoined the online auction company eBay from using the fixed price purchase feature allegedly covered by patents owned by MercExchange LLC.
Federal Court Ruling Endangers High-Tech Innovation, Open Source Software
File Under: 2005, Copyright
Sep 2, 2005
A federal appeals court in St. Louis has dealt yet another blow to high tech innovation, the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and Open Source and Industry Alliance (OSAIA) said today.
CCIA Calls For U.S. Patent Reforms
File Under: 2005, Copyright
Jun 28, 2005
June 9, 2005 — The US Patent system must change in order to assure fair competition and continued innovation, the Computer & Communications Industry Association said today.
In a written statement delivered to the House Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property, The Association called on Congress to change the nation''s laws so that:
*Patents are, in fact, novel, useful and not obvious.* There is no link between Patent Office finances and application approval.* More than a single, specialty court has jurisdiction over the nation''s patents.* Patent examiners have the funding and resources they need to issue high- quality patents.* Third parties may submit "prior art," or evidence of similar inventions that may support or invalidate a patent claim.
European Software Proposal Will Hinder Innovation If Not Fixed, CCIA tells European Parliament
File Under: 2005, Copyright
Jun 27, 2005
RUSSELS JUNE 20, 2005 — A proposal to unify European patent law under a single legal regime will hinder innovation and add to the surging number of questionable software patents in Europe, the Computer & Communications Industry Association said in a report released this morning (Attached).
The “Directive on Computer-Implemented Inventions” is supposed to protect patent technology within physical devices such as cell phones, while continuing an increasingly ignored ban on patents for general-purpose software.
CCIA Tells Senate Appropriations Committee to Exclude the Broadcast Flag
File Under: 2005, Copyright
Jun 27, 2005
The Computer & Communications Industry Association sent the following letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee in opposition to the broadcast flag. Several reports have indicated the Committee may adopt a broadcast flag that would effectively give the FCC jurisdiction over every product capable of recording, displaying, storing or otherwise processing a high-definition broadcast. This is an onerous regulatory requirement that would put the FCC in the business of choosing winners and losers - by requiring the Commission to pass judgement on present and future technology designs. CCIA is highly opposed to the flag and urges the Committee to reject it.
Digital TV Ruling a Victory for Consumers and Innovation, Halts Expanded Regulation CCIA Says
File Under: 2005, Copyright
Jun 27, 2005
Background: Today the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down a Federal Communications Commission attempt to expand its regulatory reach through a regulation that would have seriously disrupted consumers’ ability to make and share excerpts taken from over-the-air high-definition television broadcasts.
Regulators had told high-tech hardware makers to implement the so-called "broadcast flag" in order to give media companies expanded control over the content that is broadcast. The court struck down the FCC decision on the grounds that it had no right to regulate electronic devices such as PC television tuner cards without the express permission of Congress.
Court Creates Uncertainty for the High-Tech Industry
File Under: 2005, Copyright
Jun 27, 2005
The US Supreme Court has introduced yet another layer of uncertainty to America’s high-tech economy, the Computer & Communications Industry Association said today.
Justices in a 9-0 [and a 3-3-3] decision this morning ruled that high-tech companies can be sued for copyright infringement any time they distribute a device "with the object of promoting its use to infringe copyright, as shown by clear expression or other affirmative steps." The Court also rejected pleas to introduce a "balancing test" that would ban technologies simply because many people used them to infringe. CCIA, was an amicus in the case, MGM vs. Grokster, together with the Consumer Electronics Association and the Home Recording Rights Coalition.
US Copyright Office Should Support Browser Choice, Open Standards, CCIA and OSAIA Say
File Under: 2005, Copyright
Apr 22, 2005
The U.S. Copyright Office should assure that one of its key websites works with all popular browsers, the Open Source and Industry Alliance (OSAIA) said in comments filed with the Office today. Indeed, the Office should be prepared to accept paper submissions when necessary until compatibility problems can be fixed, association officials said.
CCIA TELLS SUPREME COURT: COPYRIGHT CARTEL THREATENS INNOVATION
File Under: 2005, Copyright
Mar 1, 2005
The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), as part of the High Tech Coalition, filed a friend-of-the-court brief today with the Supreme Court in the copyright case of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, LTD, in an effort to deny the entertainment industry veto power over the next generation of consumer and high-tech devices and services.
CCIA: EU Patent Proposal Comes at a Cost of Innovation and Competition
File Under: 2005, Copyright
Feb 15, 2005
A European Union proposal to give software developers significantly greater patent rights would likely come at the cost of innovation and competition, the Computer & Communications Industry Association told top EU ministers.
In a letter sent Monday evening, CCIA President Ed Black told members of the Council of Ministers that the Council’s version of the controversial European Directive on Computer Implemented Inventions would lead to numerous, unjustified patents on many of the most basic building blocks of software. Black warned of the consequences of unchecked patenting.
KEEP COMPETITION, REJECT FALSE COPYRIGHT CLAIMS, OSAIA AND CCIA TELL FEDERAL COURT
File Under: 2005, Copyright
Jan 25, 2005
The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and its subsidiary, The Open Source and Industry Alliance (OSAIA), filed a friend-of-the-court brief Monday in the Federal Appeals Court in St. Louis responding to yet another threat to innovation, open source, and competition in the software industry.
CCIA Praises Sun Microsystems Announcement on Solaris
File Under: 2005, Copyright
Jan 25, 2005
Sun Microsystems took a major step today to increase the ongoing acceptance of open source software. Sun’s release of its Solaris code – over 9,000 total lines of code – will provide new tools for innovation and go a long way towards creating acceptance of open source software.
Sun’s new Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL) requires developers to give back to the community any modifications made to the open code. But the license also has flexibility, allowing any developer that combines the software (without modifying it) to another product to not release the changes. Even if that new product is released in a proprietary format. This will allow the software to grow and gain greater user acceptance quickly and under a variety of platforms.