Monthly Archives: July 2014

Washington, D.C. – The Internet Association’s President and CEO, Michael Beckerman, issues the following statement on President Obama’s nomination of Robert Holleyman to the position of Deputy U.S. Trade Representative:

“The Internet industry congratulates Mr. Holleyman on his nomination and wishes him an expeditious confirmation for the post of Deputy U.S. Trade Representative. The Internet is a significant platform for international trade, and we look forward to working with Mr. Holleyman, upon his confirmation, on the Trade Promotion Authority, Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, Trans Pacific Partnership, and other efforts to modernize the nation’s’ trade template to include policies that promote Internet-enabled trade.

“We support Mr. Holleyman’s position that the U.S. must ‘vigorously defend an open Internet based on the values of free expression, privacy, security and innovation,’ and are eager to work with him to ensure that strong and balanced intellectual property and intermediary liability policies are incorporated into future trade agreements.”

Washington, D.C. – The Internet Association’s President and CEO, Michael Beckerman, issues the following statement regarding the recent House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet hearing on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s efforts to improve the patent review process:

“The Internet Association welcomes the steps taken by the Patent & Trademark Office to improve patent quality and administrative review procedures, as discussed in today’s hearing before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property. Although these measures will eventually reduce patent trolls’ arsenal of low-quality patents, the patent troll problem cannot be addressed solely by providing the PTO with additional resources to focus on patent quality. Nor is it enough to rely on court decisions that only demonstrate the pressing need for congressional action.

“The Internet Association continues to call for strong legislation focused on both improving patent quality and putting an end to litigation tactics that make the patent-troll business model a no-risk, high reward enterprise that extensively and needlessly damages innovation and legitimate businesses of all sizes. The Internet Association thanks Chairman Goodlatte, Congresswoman Lofgren, and the many members of House who worked hard to achieve overwhelming and bipartisan support for The Innovation Act. Despite substantial progress, the job remains undone. The Internet Association stands ready to work with the House and Senate to ensure that strong, meaningful patent reform legislation becomes a reality.”

“The Internet Association is proud to welcome Etsy as the newest innovative member of our association,” said Michael Beckerman, The Internet Association President and CEO.

Washington, D.C. — The Internet Association today announced that e-commerce company Etsy has joined its growing membership of global Internet industry leaders.

Founded in 2005 and based in New York, Etsy empowers its users to tap into an innovative online marketplace where “people around the world connect to buy and sell unique goods.” The e-commerce site connects more than 40 million registered users who use the platform to purchase handmade and vintage items, as well as other homemade products.

“The Internet Association is proud to welcome Etsy as the newest member of our association,” said Michael Beckerman, President and CEO of the Internet Association. “User empowerment is an integral component of what we do and what we stand for. The Internet’s low-barrier to entry has empowered entrepreneurial companies like Etsy to transform industries across economic sectors and connect local craftsmen and women with a global marketplace. Etsy showcases what an innovative company can do to promote competition and drive economic growth.”

“With 1 million sellers contributing to the global economy, Etsy is exceptionally suited to partner with The Internet Association, the leading voice advocating for the Internet economy,” said Althea Erickson, Etsy Public Policy Director. “The Internet Association understands that the promise of the Internet lies in the power to harness user communities to achieve a broader economic impact. We’re looking forward to working toward this common vision together.”

About The Internet Association
The Internet Association is the unified voice of the Internet economy representing the interests of the leading Internet companies including Airbnb, Amazon.com, AOL, Auction.com, eBay, Etsy, Expedia, Facebook, Gilt, Google, IAC, LinkedIn, Monster Worldwide, Path, Practice Fusion, Rackspace, reddit, salesforce.com, SurveyMonkey, TripAdvisor, Yahoo!, and Zynga. The Internet Association is dedicated to advancing public policy solutions to strengthen and protect Internet freedom, foster innovation and economic development, and empower users. The Internet Association is headquartered in Washington, D.C. www.InternetAssociation.org.

About Etsy, Inc.
Etsy is a marketplace where people around the world connect to buy and sell unique goods. Our mission is to re-imagine commerce to build a more fulfilling and lasting world. Etsy is headquartered in Brooklyn, NY. Learn more at www.etsy.com.

Washington, DC – Last week, The Internet Association partnered with U.S. Senator Cory Booker to host a  forum focused on using the Internet to grow small businesses in New Jersey.  The panel discussion, “Small Business Tech and Social Innovation Forum,” was held at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ.  Michael Beckerman, President and CEO of the Internet Association, led the discussion along with Carley Graham Garcia, Head of Global Industry Relations at Google, Bess Yount, Facebook’s Small Business Partner Manager, Darnell Holloway, Senior Manager of Local Business Outreach at Yelp, CEO and founder of Cardcash.com, Elliot Bohm, and CEO/Innovator and Chief of websignia, Steve Jones. Other Internet companies like Huffington Post, Uber, and Etsy were also in attendance to help small business owners in the breakout sessions.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: Nika Nour, Nika@InternetAssociation.org, (949)929-6216
DATE: July 14, 2014

Enforceable Rules Need to Guarantee an Open Internet
Beckerman: “The FCC must act to create strong, enforceable net neutrality rules for mobile and wireline networks.”

Washington, D.C. – The Internet Association today submitted its comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging Commissioners to take strong and decisive action to guarantee an open Internet for the future. The Internet Association’s comments mark the first time that more than two dozen of the world’s most-recognizable and successful Internet companies have spoken with a unified voice on the issue of Net Neutrality.

“Segregation of the Internet into fast lanes and slow lanes will distort the market, discourage innovation and harm Internet users,” said Michael Beckerman, President and CEO of The Internet Association. “The FCC must act to create strong, enforceable net neutrality rules and apply them equally to both wireless and wireline providers.

The Internet Association’s comments to the FCC can be distilled into three key tenets necessary to secure and preserve an open Internet for the future:

1. Internet Users Should Get What They Want, When They Want It
The Internet should be free from censorship, discrimination and anticompetitive behavior, protected by simple and enforceable rules that ensure a consumer’s equal access to the content they want.

2. Internet Users Should Get What They Pay For
Broadband subscribers should get the bandwidth they are paying for – content should be treated equally, without degradations in speed or quality. No artificial slow lanes.

3. All Networks Should Have Equal Protection
No matter how users choose to connect to the Internet, net neutrality rules should apply universally on both wireless and wireline networks.

“There is a compelling public interest for an open Internet, and we stand with the Internet’s vast community of users to keep it that way. We urge the FCC to listen to the people, and adopt these simple, enforceable rules to protect an open Internet. That open and decentralized model is precisely what enabled the Internet to become one of the greatest engines for growth, prosperity and progress the world has ever known. Recent Court rulings have placed that model at risk, and the FCC must act to protect an open Internet for all.”

In its comments, The Internet Association also expressed concern that broadband providers are discriminating among sources and types of Internet traffic in real-time, presenting a major problem for both consumers and content providers. The comments to the FCC detailed the perverse economic incentives that exist for broadband providers to block non-affiliated content in favor of affiliated web traffic. To resolve these conflicts and potential for abuses in the system, The Internet Association recommended increased transparency to ensure providers are not limiting consumer access.

VIEW THE INTERNET ASSOCIATION’S COMMENTS IN RESPONSE TO THE FCC’S NPRM
VIEW FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: FCC COMMENTS ON NET NEUTRALITY

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About The Internet Association
The Internet Association, represents the interests of the leading Internet companies including Airbnb, Amazon, AOL, Auction.com, eBay, Expedia, Facebook, Gilt, Google, IAC, LinkedIn, Lyft, Monster Worldwide, Netflix, Practice Fusion, Rackspace, reddit, Salesforce.com, SurveyMonkey, TripAdvisor, Twitter, Uber Technologies, Inc., Yelp, Yahoo!, and Zynga. We are dedicated to advancing public policy solutions to strengthen and protect Internet freedom, foster innovation and economic growth, and empower users. The Internet Association is headquartered in Washington, D.C. www.internetassociation.org

Washington, DC – The Internet Association today partnered with U.S. Senator Cory Booker to host a forum focused on using the Internet to grow small businesses in New Jersey. The panel discussion, “Small Business Tech and Social Innovation Forum,” was held at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. Michael Beckerman, President and CEO of the Internet Association, led the discussion along with Carley Graham Garcia, Head of Global Industry Relations at Google, Bess Yount, Facebook’s Small Business Partner Manager, Darnell Holloway, Senior Manager of Local Business Outreach at Yelp, CEO and founder of Cardcash.com, Elliot Bohm, and CEO/Innovator and Chief of websignia, Steve Jones. Other Internet companies like Huffington Post,were also in attendance to help small business owners in the breakout sessions.

“Technology has proven time and again to be a ladder for social and economic mobility,” said Sen. Booker. “That is particularly true for new businesses trying to put their name on the map. The Internet is an indispensable tool enabling companies to compete in a global economy, grow their businesses, and expand their reach in New Jersey and across the country.”

“Small businesses that use the Internet are twice as likely to create jobs,” said Michael Beckerman, President and CEO of the Internet Association. “Today’s event will help New Jersey’s small business owners and entrepreneurs better use the Internet to innovate, increase revenues, create jobs, and grow the economy.”

The panel of industry experts from Google, Facebook, and Yelp discussed the tools and tactics that small businesses and entrepreneurs can use to grow their businesses. The panel also fielded questions from the audience and from online participants. Following the Q&A session, small business owners and entrepreneurs joined breakout sessions with Internet companies Huffington Post, Uber, Google, Facebook, and Yelp there to answer questions and help identify opportunities to use the Internet to grow their businesses.