www.ccianet.org

New FTC Chairman Tells CCIA Priorities At Breakfast

Wed, 07 May 2008 18:02:40 PST

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.

35th Annual 2008 Washington Caucus

Tue, 06 May 2008 21:26:07 PST

Speakers include:

Senator Byron Dorgan
Senator Ron Wyden
Senator Arlen Specter
Senator Claire McCaskill
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse

Congressman Rick Boucher
Congresswoman Anna Eshoo
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren
FTC Chairman William Kovacic
FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein

Lawmakers, Tech Execs To Discuss Tech Bills

Thu, 01 May 2008 18:04:34 PST

Washington, DC -- Tech executives from around the country are coming to Washington DC next week to get an update on the challenges lawmakers face getting measures passed that would help the tech industry, innovation and the economy.

The discussion with Senators, House members and tech executives is part of the Computer and Communications Industry Association’s annual Washington Caucus at the Willard hotel in Washington DC.

CCIA Cautions House Leadership On Enforcement-Only Immigration Approach

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:21:38 PST

Washington, D.C. – A tech industry association is asking Congress to steer clear of an enforcement-only immigration measure some lawmakers are trying to bring toward a vote. The Computer and Communications Industry Association sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner Tuesday outlining its concerns with H.R. 4088, the Save America Through Verification and Enforcement Act.

CCIA President and CEO Ed Black told House leaders H.R. 4088 is not broad enough to address problems with immigration policy, including the critical shortage of visas for highly skilled workers.

Click here for letter

CCIA Applauds EU Scrutiny of IBM

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:00:00 PST

Washington, D.C. -- According to recent press reports, European Union antitrust enforcement officials have asked International Business Machines (IBM) for information about its mainframe computer business in response to an antitrust complaint filed by a small competitor, Platform Solutions, Inc (PSI). The inquiry could be the first step towards a formal investigation of unfair dealings by IBM, which is the world’s dominant supplier of mainframe hardware and software.

CCIA welcomes the EU inquiry and encourages EU regulators to act expeditiously, if necessary, to ensure the integrity and competitiveness of the vital mainframe market.

Mercury News Editorial: U.S. political leaders must recognize importance of free trade

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:00:00 PST

By Ed Black

Article Launched: 04/21/2008 01:33:31 AM PDT

As the leading export industry of the nation, the high-tech sector is a strong supporter of free trade and open markets. That is why the current confrontation between Congress and the Bush administration is so alarming.

We believe the Colombia trade agreement is good for our national security and foreign policy as well as for our economy. More important than the deadlock on this agreement itself is that it illustrates how far the United States has strayed from the path of bipartisan commitment to free trade.

For the whole article please visit: http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_8999770

Economic Analysis On Promoting Electronic Filing

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:10:26 PST

Washington, DC -- A new independent study examining the costs and benefits of a proposed government-run electronic tax preparation system concludes the IRS should not invest in the so-called ‘I-File’ system, which would be costly to implement and create little or no benefit for consumers compared with the existing system.

“Competition in the industry obligates software companies to keep their products user-friendly and reasonably priced, and the IRS ‘Free File’ program already makes tax preparation software available to 7 out of 10 taxpayers for free,” study co-author Robert Litan said. “By comparison, an IRS I-File program would cost more than its benefits, and come with a significant risk of failure.”

Click here for the study

Economic Analysis: Promoting Electronic Filing

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:10:26 PST

Appeals Court Asked To Promote Innovation, Not Patents

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:00:00 PST

Washington, D.C. – The Computer & Communications Industry Association is encouraging the U.S Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to reconsider some cases that have had a significant impact on patent law – State Street Bank & Trust v. Signature Financial Group and AT&T v. Excel. In an amicus brief filed Monday, CCIA argues that both the State Street and AT&T cases should overturned.

CCIA: Skilled Worker Visas Must be Addressed

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:07:23 PST

Washington, D.C. -- The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) today proclaimed the opening of the H-1B visa application period as a dismal anniversary symbolizing the failure of Congress to address skilled immigration reform.

Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting applications for H-1B temporary work visas for Fiscal Year 2009. Last year, the cap on H-1B visas for FY2008 was exceeded on April 2nd, and USCIS held a lottery among the applications that were submitted. Despite numerous calls for action from a broad range of interests, there has been no increase in the H-1B cap during the past year. As a result, it is highly likely that we will be faced with the same situation again this year, and many U.S. companies will be unable to receive the visas they need to hire highly skilled foreign workers.

CCIA: Skilled Workers' Visas Must Be Addressed

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:07:23 PST

CCIA Praises Choice Of Kovacic To Lead FTC

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:48:00 PST

WASHINGTON -- The promotion of FTC Commissioner William E. Kovacic to Chairman is being welcomed by the technology industry.

"He's knowledgeable, experienced, and has both an academic and real world understanding of the importance of competition, especially to the technology industry," Computer & Communications Industry Association President and CEO Ed Black said. "We believe the FTC has an important and ongoing role in ensuring a vibrant, competitive environment for the technology and Internet world. Chairman-Designate Kovacic appreciates the importance of creating the right regulatory framework to promote competition and innovation without unnecessary regulatory interference."

CCIA Speaking At VON.x Competition Workshop

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:25:39 PST

San Jose, Calif. – It will be a real competition of ideas as some of the leading voices in competition policy come together Monday for a workshop ahead of the Spring Von.x conference.

Ed Black, President & CEO of the Computer & Communications Industry, will lead off the event March 17, along with Jonathan Askin, Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School as they present an overview of the issues painting the competition landscape.

For a complete lineup of the Competitiveness Policy click here

CCIA Adds Key Staff

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:23:03 PST

Washington, D.C. – CCIA's President Ed Black today announced that Danielle Yates will be joining the Computer & Communications Industry Association as Director of External Affairs starting March 24. Yates has been director of communications and special events at the Internet Education Foundation, a nonprofit that also coordinates educational programming for the Congressional Internet Caucus.

"We are excited to have Danielle join CCIA at a time when important issues are being addressed, and the foundation is being laid for addressing our industry's policy priorities for the future. Combined with the great recent addition of Heather Greenfield to CCIA's staff team as Director of Media Relations, we are looking forward to tackling some of the most important issues, challenges, and opportunities facing our industry with an expanded and prepared team."

CCIA Requests Details On Human Rights Ratings

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:26:21 PST

Washington -- As the State Department releases its 2007 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, a group advocating freedom on the Internet is questioning how much weight that issue was given in the calculation of human rights ratings.

The Computer & Communications Industry Association is concerned when governments censor access to the Internet or use it for surveillance against those who disagree with their policies.

Click here to see letter

FISA Debate Goes Beyond Partisan Rhetoric

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:00:20 PST

Here is a summary of the op ed by CCIA President & CEO Ed Black was published in Roll Call March 11, 2008:

The current controversy surrounding the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has dominated the news, and rightly so. The renewal of FISA and its most controversial provision, retroactive immunity for the telecommunications companies that cooperated with the government on wireless surveillance activities, will impact every American — and some of the most important industries at the center of our economic growth.

To see the full article click here for link
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/53_106/guest/22489-1.html
(subscription publication)

Net Neutrality Advocates Testify At House Hearing

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:13:47 PST

The following statement can be attributed to Ed Black, President & CEO of the Computer and Communications Industry Association:

This Judiciary Committee Anti-Trust Task Force hearing on net neutrality and freedom of speech is welcome given recent examples of questionable network management practices by cable operators and telecom companies.

Protecting the current free market access to Web sites, content, applications and services must be the highest priority – as that is why the Internet has grown and that is why it is such a value today.

CCIA: Major EU Decisions Seen As Fair, Balanced

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:52:29 PST

Washington, D.C. -- This is another big week for the technology industry in Europe. This week European Union actions are impacting Intel, AMD, Google, Doubleclick, Yahoo, Microsoft, and others as well as millions of consumers. “Increasingly it is clear that competition issues are central to the evolution of the global technology industry, and that the European Commission is an important and respected venue where these issues will be addressed thoroughly,” said Ed Black, President & CEO of the Computer & Communications Industry Association.

“The EU has received much attention, and some criticism from its targets, for vigorous enforcement in some cases where the US has failed to act with equal vigor. However, the quality of review and fairness in outcomes is now widely respected, and has highlighted some weaknesses of the US in this area. The nearly simultaneous approval of the Doubleclick merger, and the hearing on Intel's abuse of competition reflect the even-handedness of the EU,” Black said

Questions Remain On Intellectual Property Bill

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:52:56 PST

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 Asks House To Oppose Telecom Immunity

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:14:01 PST

Washington, D.C. -- The Computer & Communications Industry Association sent a letter to House members Friday asking them not to support retroactive immunity for major telecommunications companies as part of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act legislation.

Click here to see the letter