The 463: Inside Tech Policy

Save Stock Options

Go here and sign a petition to President Bush that says that  protecting employee ownership should be a key part of his "ownership society."   Nearly 10,000 people have signed the petition already.  You should, too.

Not convinced or too lazy?  Consider:

• 79% of stock options holders earn less than $75,000 annually

• Discouraging stock options could result in over $2.3 trillion in lost output over the next decade (Employment Policy Foundation).

• Federal, state and local governments could lose up to $563 billion in tax revenue over the next 10 years (Employment and Policy Foundation).

Mr. Long Tail & The Post on Grokster

Chris Anderson, editor of Wired and creator of the tech phrase du jour (Long Tail), has an op-ed in the entertainment industry home town paper today.  The LA Times piece concludes...

For Those About to Grok...

To catch varied coverage and opinions on the Supreme Court Grokster hearing today, go to the Induce Act Blog or TechLawAdvisor; see PFF's take on some judicial amusement today; or go to the blog of the billionaire funding Grokster's defense -- Mark Cuban.

Here's a Google News search.

Sharing Music One iPod at a Time

Only six more downloading days until the Supreme Court Grokster hearing (next Tuesday).  We're getting all tingly.  So should be the estimated 36 million Americans who say they've downloaded music or video files. 

Pew Internet & American Life Project interestingly also report today that their survey on downloading trends suggests that regardless of a potential crack-down on P2P services, Americans will find ways to share music in a more traditional one-to-one basis (albeit many gigs at a time).   Pew says that nine million Americans have grabbed music off of someone else's iPod (or other MP3 player - quick, name one).  And, 10 million have nabbed tracks via email or IM....

The Quick & Dirty (off topic)

Friendly recommendations from your friends at 463:

If you are in PR or marketing in the Bay Area and want to learn about how to use (and not use) blogs in your jog, than you really should attend Bite Communications' mini-conference on blogging and PR on April 6 at the swanky W Hotel in San Francisco.  The whole thing costs less than a few (okay, several) rounds of drinks at the XYZ Bar....

...You will note that The 463 quite often writes about digital content issues.  Now, "content" to most normal people means enjoyable things like music, movies and games.   And, it's the actual love of a particular form of entertainment that gets many engaged in the business side of the art (for better or worse).  Thus, some policy-free music recommendations: 

• Favorite new band:  The Go! Team -- a fiery explosion of decades of diverse music and culture. Their live shows must be mind blowing (They just played their first U.S. date at SXSW).
• Favorite old bands with new albums:  The Wedding Present and Ivy.  The Wedding Present is the best, most influential British band you probably never heard of.  Ivy is pop heaven. Both are on tour this spring.
• Best introduction to the best electronic music out there right now:  Kompakt 100 (a compilation

Remote Controlled Humans = Bad

As a follow-up to our mini-primer on RFID policy and perceptions, The 463 thought folks would be interested in an European Commision advisory group's ethical advisments on implanting RFID chips in humans.  From Silicon.com....

"The European Commission this week adopted an opinion on the ethical aspects of ICT implants in the human body, declaring they should only be given to those in need rather than those who wish to enhance their faculties."

Coming soon:  RFID testing at chess tournaments.

"The EC, however, believes that using implants as surveillance tools is acceptable, as long as government has legislated for it first."

To the great disapointment of parents everywhere....

"The use of ICT implants in order to obtain remote control over the will of people should be strictly prohibited."

On a serious note, it's only a matter of time before Congress begins to hold hearings on similar issues.

Music Publishers Leave Dark Age

When the music industry completely missed the boat on competing with "free" during the first Napster Era, music labels were fingered as slow-moving dinosaurs incapable of seeing the digital music light.

Sure, there was some truth to the generalization, but there were also a lot of folks at the labels doing their best to move quickly and strike deals with legitimate players like Real Networks, Listen.com, AOL, Yahoo!, etc.

Yet, these agile tech companies also had to deal with a true Brontosaurus Rex:  Publishers -- who represent the songwriters and their music publishers in the U.S.  Just like the music labels (and to a lesser extent, the artist), publishers get a cut on every music sale, performance or broadcast....

Phighting Phishing: Laws vs. Tech

As if to prove that Duke isn't completely basketball obsessed at the dawn of March Madness, the Duke Law and Technology Review put out a well-researched analysis of the potential efficacy that the "Anti-Phishing Act of 2005" might hold (or not).  Here's the abstract:

This iBrief analyzes the Anti-Phishing Act of 2005, legislation aimed at curbing the problem of "phishing." Phishing is the sending of fraudulent emails which appear to be from legitimate businesses and thereby fooling the recipients into divulging personal information such as credit card numbers. While this legislation may provide some assistance in the fight against phishing, it is limited by the global nature of the Internet and the ease with which phishers can hide and avoid judgments. This iBrief therefore concludes that although the Anti-Phishing Act can play a supporting role in the battle, technological solutions are the most effective means of reducing or eliminating phishing attacks.

Is That a Microchip In Your Pants?...

The 463 will be closely watching the policy issues around the deployment of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.   Here, we'll recap the technnology and touch upon some of the controversies that it's meeting on it's way to a wholesale roll-out....

Last week two groups of Washington policymakers both essentially said that, for now, the promise of RFID far exceeds any need for government regulation of the technology's applications.

Neither pronouncement made much news.  It's likely because most even in the tech industry are still trying to get their arms around what RFID really is now and what it could potentially be.  Plus, neither had inferences of wireless panties or kindergartners with chips in their head.

More on that later....  First a quick step back....

TechNet Innovation Event Photos & Coverage

As noted here, TechNet announced it's 2005 Innovation Policy Agenda last week.  The photos below are of TechNet co-founders John Doerr and John Chambers, TechNet President Rick White and NASDAQ CEO Bob Griefeld at the press conference in Washington, DC.  Click on the photos to enlarge.

Coverage of the Innovation Agenda can be found at CNN.com, the San Francisco Chronicle, Internet News, and many other outlets.

InformationWeek editorialized on the plan...

"Hats off to all promoting this aggressive agenda. Hopefully, the entire industry can embrace it, and it won't be left to policies that Congress must enact. Hats off, also, to the countries that are driving innovation through technology and educational advancements. They're helping build a robust global economy, but the U.S. shouldn't let its foundation of innovation crack."

And, for insight into what was discussed at a CEO media dinner that included represenatives from publications including Newsweek, TIME Magazine, Atlantic Monthly and the Washington Post see Cisco's government affairs blog.