Today marks the celebration of World IP Day, promoting the role of intellectual property in encouraging innovation and creativity. The Internet industry is a leader in protecting IP and providing new opportunities for creators, inventors, and artists.

Earlier this year, President Obama made strong statements in support of additional patent reforms saying that abusive patent trolls are just trying “to leverage and hijack somebody else’s idea and see if they can extort some money out of them.”  

The Congressional push to address abusive patent litigation picked up momentum this week with a statement by Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy. He announced yesterday that he will pursue legislation to make patent trolls “unprofitable.” This comes on the heels of a series of hearings where House Judiciary Committee Chairman Goodlatte said “steps must be taken to ensure that the patent system continues to be one that lives up to the vision of our Founders, truly promoting the progress of science and the useful arts.”   

The President, along with bipartisan Committee Chairmen in the House and the Senate are in agreement that our patent system needs improvement. We could not agree more.  Patent reform must be a priority this Congress. Now is the time to address the problem of abusive patent litigation that plagues our industry and so many others from retailers to startups.

We appreciate the support of our nation’s leaders and call for action: move quickly to pass legislation that removes the lopsided financial incentives driving abusive litigation.

Follow these twitter handles to learn more: @SenatorLeahy @RepGoodlatte @InternetAssn

Each year, eight trillion dollars is exchanged through e-commerce. That’s right … eight trillion. This number shows that the Internet is a significant channel for commerce, which is facilitated by strong privacy and trade policies. As the European Union (EU) works to revamp its  data protection laws and the United Sates (US) prepares to negotiate a trade agreement with the EU, many wonder how the interplay of differing privacy regimes will impact international trade. 

Last week, Commissioner Julie Brill of the Federal Trade Commission addressed the Mentor Group Forum for EU-US Legal Economic Affairs. This forum brings together Supreme Court Justices, European Union Commissioners and corporate Chief Legal Officers on a biannual basis to discuss tangible legal-economic developments between the EU and US. 

Brill’s speech, which focused on the United States’ privacy regime, comes in the midst of Europe’s major overhaul of its privacy framework. This effort kicked off last year after European Union Justice Commissioner Viviane Redding proposed a comprehensive reform to unify the EU’s existing data protection laws into a single law across all EU member states. The new law will apply to companies that operate in the EU, including U.S. companies that engage in the movement of data across borders.

Given the impact the EU’s potential data regulation would have on U.S. entities, Brill took the opportunity to note important similarities between the EU and US in rethinking privacy in the digital age but also highlighted key implementation differences.

One major difference is the EU’s approach to cross-border data transfers, which the Commissioner rightly characterized as “a more restrictive approach.” Rather than evaluating an entity’ privacy policy, the EU often assesses whether a foreign nation meets an “adequate” level of privacy protection. Brill suggested that interoperability between the two regimes could be achieved through a more flexible approach to cross border data flows and could ultimately strengthen privacy protection, promote innovation, and facilitate international trade.

As the EU moves forward in finalizing its new privacy law, implications for the upcoming U.S. Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with Europe should be considered. Could the EU’s updated privacy regime present a trade barrier?

The Internet Association supports Commissioner Brill’s view on international data flows. Today, the Internet continues to revolutionize innovation, commerce, and trade. Strong trade policies that promote the free flow of information are critical to the continued growth of the Internet as a gateway to new markets for goods and services.

The Internet Association Adds Popular Travel Site to its Membership Roster

Washington D.C. – The Internet Association, the Washington voice of America’s online economy, announces the addition of Airbnb, a popular online travel booking service, to its growing membership roster.

“Airbnb is helping to lead a growing sharing economy that is changing the way people live in incredible new ways, and helping to boost our economy in the process. Half of the users we have surveyed say they depend on the extra income they get from renting out their homes on Airbnb to pay their own rent mortgage, and countless local businesses have been given a boost in a down economy. We are excited to join the Internet Association and its member companies because all of these companies are helping people survive and thrive in the 21st century, and there is a lot of work yet to be done in imparting that message to policymakers here and abroad” said David Hantman, Head of Global Policy at Airbnb.

“Airbnb is the poster child for how great ideas can thrive thanks to the Internet and we are delighted to welcome Airbnb to The Internet Association,” said Michael Beckerman, President and CEO of The Internet Association. “Their story is a reminder of the constant innovation in our growing Internet economy. We welcome Airbnb’s engagement on important issues of Internet freedom, economic growth and user empowerment. The story of the ‘sharing economy’ is a fascinating one. Lawmakers and regulators at every level need to take notice because companies like Airbnb are creating enormous value for their constituents.”

Founded in 2008, Airbnb is one of the most trusted online community marketplaces for users to list, discover, and book unique short-term accommodations worldwide. Over 4 million total guests have traveled on Airbnb in over 34,000 cities around the world.

Airbnb will be joining The Internet Association’s member companies Amazon.com, AOL, eBay, Expedia, Facebook, Google, IAC, LinkedIn, Monster Worldwide, Rackspace, salesforce.com, TripAdvisor, Yahoo!, and Zynga.

www.internetassociation.org