USTelecom Continues Advocacy on Broadcast Treaty November 14th, 2008

Since early 2006, USTelecom has been involved in ongoing discussions at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland regarding the so-called Broadcast Treaty.  Through its Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR), WIPO has been considering this controversial treaty for more than 10 years.  USTelecom — an accredited Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) at WIPO — has attended several meetings of the SCCR where the merits of the Broadcast Treaty have been debated.

USTelecom recently joined several other companies, associations and public interest groups to express its opposition to any treaty proposal that would create a new layer of exclusive intellectual property rights tied to broadcast signals.  The letter was presented at a November meeting of the SCCR, where the Broadcast Treaty was listed as an agenda item.  USTelecom and others believe that to the extent the SCCR finds it necessary to draft a treaty, such a treaty should be limited to signal protection.

Intellectual property issues remain an increasingly important area of the law for today’s broadband companies.  USTelecom will continue to remain vigilant in this area

Tech CEOs Drive People to the Polls October 30th, 2008

This election season, “too busy” to vote is no excuse, according to the technology CEOs and business leaders who are driving people to the polls on VoteHour.org.  In a series of brief video clips, industry leaders urge their employees to break away from work for an hour to go vote on November 4.

USTelecom President and CEO Walter McCormick contributed a video clip discussing our new age of digital democracy…and the need to translate the broadband phenomenon into real election results.

VoteHour.org was inspired by a U.S. Census report that revealed 20 percent of registered voters did not cast ballots in 2004 because they were too busy.  In addition to Walter McCormick, the website features clips from Sprint Nextel CEO Dan Hesse, Cisco CEO John Chambers, eBay CEO John Donahoe, Intel CEO Paul Otellini, and executives from other sectors.

So this Nov. 4, be sure to reserve your Vote Hour and cast your vote!

Safety First! July 9th, 2008

Following up on Robert’s post last week about the upcoming DHS webinar on pandemic preparedness, DHS has also announced strong support for the 5th Annual National Prepardness Month. National Preparedness Month, held in September, is a time for all Americans to focus on emergency planning and preparedness. There are sites with specific information for individuals, business, and kids administered by the Ready Campaign, a “national public service advertising campaign designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks.”

And as long as we’re discussing public safety and emergency response, let me add that Robert will be speaking on those topics at the NARUC Summer Committee Meetings July 20 - 23 in Portland, Oregon. We will be sure to keep you updated on all the NARUC activities right here.