New FTC Chairman Tells CCIA Priorities At Breakfast

File Under: News

May 7, 2008

Washington, D.C. –  Federal Trade Commission Chairman William Kovacic outlined his goals including plans to prioritize evaluating the agency's effectiveness at a Computer & Communications Industry Association breakfast today.

Making an analogy about medical practice, the recently-appointed chairman said the agency should engage in more follow-up as would a physician, instead of merely pronouncing the patient “well” after a decision.  Kovacic indicated that the agency had started to review its previous cases to find out whether the agency decisions had helped.

Kovacic pointed out the FTC will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2014. He would like to mark that anniversary with what he described as an “FTC at 100” report. He said that this report could examine what the characteristics of a good agency are.

The chairman envisions this report as an FTC performance evaluation, along with a consideration of the resources needed and how the FTC could best work with non-government organizations and others to achieve its goals.

He said currently the FTC is evaluated mostly on enforcement and how many cases it brings.  While he said enforcement is important, he added, “a really good report can move policy in a direction every bit as important as doing a good case.”  The FTC's seminal report on patents, To Promote Innovation, is widely regarded as having made a significant contribution to recent patent reform efforts.

A report on preventing identity theft was one of the examples offered and by “good” Kovacic means that it must be the best, most useful report on the subject that is out there.
 
Kovacic said he would announce more details toward the end of the month.

"We are glad the FTC has a chairman with such a broad understanding of both the academic and real world issues behind competition policy, and we applaud his plans to set a framework for the FTC's future based on broader, long term policy goals," said CCIA President and CEO Ed Black.