ISSA: Mobility and Multiplicity

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Clean Tech Defense Symposium Set

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Tacoma's new BizTech Talk Radio Show

Just in case you haven't caught it, the Tacoma area now has it's own technology focused radio show: BizTech Talk hosted by Chamber member Darrel Bowman, CEO of mynetworkcompany.com.

The BizTechTalk show launched a few weeks ago and can be heard on Tacoma’s own KLAY 1180 AM radio station every Tuesday from noon to 1pm. It's streamed live online on KLAY 1180′s website or you can listen to past broadcasts at www.biztechtalk.net

The show format includes interviews of local, state and national businesses professionals to discuss the latest technology and business trends, with tips how to improve your technology ROI, tune up your technology, or safeguard your business. The show promises to help you find out "what’s hype and what’s hot".

Today's show will be discussing real time data backup, business continuity and disaster recovery solutions for small and medium business with representatives from Axcient.

Darrell is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, received the Chamber's 2010 “Top Gun” Veteran Owned Business of the Year Award, and went on to be recognized nationally in 2011 by the SBA as the Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year nationwide. He is also a member of Congressman Adam Smith’s Technology Advisory Council.

Bill Kaufmann, CEO

Kaufmann Kreative, e-Commerce & Marketing

Alternative to SOPA

Now that Congress has withdrawn the SOPA, attention has turned (in other forums), to the bill introduced by Washington's own Sen. Maria Cantwell (and others) that seeks to protect IP while supporting the exchange of ideas via the Internet.

Here is Sen. Cantwell's press release of Dec. 17, 2011, on the day she and her colleagues introduced the bill:

WASHINGTON, D.C.– As the House Judiciary Committee considers a bill that sacrifices innovation and an open and secure Internet, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and a bipartisan coalition of Senators including Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced legislation to use import trade laws to protect intellectual property without catastrophic effects to the Internet.

The Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act (OPEN) will build on the existing legal framework for resolving trade infractions of tangible goods to enforce copyright and trademark infringement of digital goods such as music, movies and other intellectual property. Through the International Trade Commission, violations of digital trade can be investigated and websites found to be “willfully” and “primarily” infringing on copyright material can be shut down. The ITC will create a transparent and adversarial process where all parties would receive due process and IP rules can be consistently applied. Neither the Stop Online Piracy Act in the House nor the Protect IP Act in the Senate allow for similar due process.

“The Internet allows entrepreneurs in America and around the world to create ground-breaking companies and fuel economic growth,” said Cantwell. “That’s why we’re leading a bipartisan effort to pass the OPEN Act. The OPEN Act addresses the same challenges as the PROTECT Act, while protecting freedom of speech, innovation and security on the Internet. This new bill will crack down on online counterfeiting and copyright violations in a way that is consistent with existing law for illegal imports that violate intellectual property rights.”

“The OPEN act meets the same publicly-stated goals as SOPA or Protect IP without causing massive damage to the Internet,” Wyden said. “I’ve long said that IP infringement is a problem that needs to be addressed, but these other bills tread deeply into online censorship and blacklisting in order to protect intellectual property. There is a better way. The OPEN act expands the ability of the ITC to investigate IP infringement -- providing a forum for due process without messing with the inner workings of the Internet. The same goals are met, without the collateral damage SOPA and Protect IP will leave in their wake.”

“The internet continues to be a driving force for innovation and economic growth in our country. Any legislation affecting the internet must be carefully considered – we cannot afford unintended consequences,” Sen. Moran said. “The proposals currently under consideration by Congress raise serious Constitutional and security concerns and include provisions that effectively chill investment in innovation. Unlike Protect IP and SOPA, the OPEN Act provides a clear and consistent system of due process and does not compromise the secure operation of the internet through filtering. The OPEN Act also utilizes the expertise of the ITC to make certain monetary resources to rogue foreign websites are shut down upon violations of intellectual property rights. Whether you are a high-tech entrepreneur, a small business owner, or simply an American with a good idea, an open web facilitates innovation as an open marketplace for goods and services.”

The OPEN Act embraces remedies against true foreign, “rogue” sites that are the most effective: shutting off the money.  The OPEN Act does not include controversial provisions that empower rightsholders and the government to upset the architecture of the Internet, upon which cybersecurity infrastructure resides, or to impose a censorship regime.

SOPA and IP Protection

The Tacoma-Pierce Co. Chamber has not yet taken a policy position on SOPA, although the Chamber has supported protection for IP.  Nonetheless, as an outreach to increase the comprehensive dialogue, their information is presented for your consideration:

"The United States Chamber of Commerce, along with other Chambers, guilds, studios, and networks are supporters of Creative America, a grassroots coalition created to allow your individual voice to be heard in the fight against one of the biggest threats we as an industry face: content theft. The entertainment industry has already lost tens of thousands of jobs, and there are numerous other damaging effects as a result of content theft. 

"What Google and Wikipedia are fighting against is ANY regulation over the Internet. The bills debated in Congress are very narrow, carefully tailored pieces of legislation that will address the worst of the worst online thieves. With rogue websites receiving up to 59 billion visits per year (9 visits for every single person on Earth) something must be done to stop online theft.

"Talk of censorship and loss of Internet freedom has nothing to do with the actual substance of the bills."

And more in the interests of information exchange, today's press statement by Congressman Adam Smith:

“I am committed to finding ways to more effectively protect American innovation that helps drive our economy, but I do not support the Stop Online Piracy Act as it currently stands. Intellectual property theft and piracy undermines our competitive advantage within the global economy, negatively impacts multiple sectors within Washington State and the national economy, and costs individuals and U.S. - based businesses of all sizes billions of dollars each year. 

“It is vitally important that we protect the intellectual property of content providers in the United States from serious threats posed by online piracy, but it is also important to ensure innovators have the ability to continue creating, producing and sharing new ideas. SOPA, as it stands, would significantly prevent that from happening.

“Though intellectual property protection is critical, the policies proposed by the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) are troubling. There is great concern among technology professionals and Internet users that these measures, if enacted, would place unacceptable limitations on the accessibility of online information and content, impose undue burdens on small and innovative websites and applications, and would not be the most effective way to curtail overseas illegal piracy and theft of intellectual property.

“I appreciate the attention this issue has received and the focus on finding better ways to protect American innovation and creativity without impeding the historic strengths and benefits of the Internet.  I look forward to working with my colleagues to balance these important priorities in future legislation.”

SOPA: Start Over Please Again

Although the Tacoma Tech Connect hasn't gone black today, I have blacked out my Tumblr blog in an appeal to more sensibly address copyright infringement.

The pending SOPA bill is like blaming newsboys for content in the newspaper. Simply the wrong solution to the problem. Please repost this ask your legislators to start over and get it right.

For more info, see the post on my blog: http://kreativejuices.tumblr.com/

Bill Kaufmann, CEO / Kreative Director,
Kaufmann Kreative E-Commerce and Marketing

SST Announces Keynote Speaker

The South Sound Technology Conference is scheduled on Friday March 9th. 

The keynote speaker will be Howard Schmidt, White House Cyber Security Coordinator. 

Andrew Frye is once again putting together a packed agenda ranging from mobile computing to Infrastructure and Information Assurance. Hope to see you there! 

Registration Site.