Imagine you could only play Call of Duty against someone sitting next to you, or were limited to only playing the single-player campaign of Starcraft II or against the AI in Civilization V.  Those games wouldn’t be nearly as fun – some of them wouldn’t be the same game! But the Entertainment Software Association doesn’t think it should matter. In…

Washington — As the Senate moves to consider Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation, the Finance Committee released a report today, explaining the legislation which gives the President authority to negotiate trade deals without additional tweaks from Congress.  In addition to acknowledging the importance of digital commerce, today’s Senate Report and the House of Representatives’ TPA Report both clarify that the…

Since 1998, U.S. policy has held that the Internet’s “IANA functions” — the technical functions collectively referred to as the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, administered by ICANN.org— will ultimately belong to the world. In this context, “the world” has been understood to mean not merely the world’s governments, but also other “stakeholders.” These may include national and international business entities, nongovernmental…

Libraries have been on the front lines of the digital revolution since its beginning. 3-D printing is the latest wave of this revolution, which continues to fundamentally change the way we access, process, and produce information. This technology brings digitization to the physical marketplace for the first time, by allowing people of all ages to use digital processes to create…

The Re:Create Coalition brings together various groups from the technology, trade, and library industries. The alliance will advocate for less-stifling copyright laws that foster innovation. A group of library, technology, and trade organizations have joined together to advocate for simpler and more transparent copyright laws. In a statement, members of the Re:Create Coalition said that more balanced copyright policies that…

Copyright law is frequently misused as a tool to censor unwanted online criticism. And often, this misuse does not make it into court. But one such case has recently made its way up to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. And yesterday, EFF filed a “friend of the court” brief, urging the court to consider the First Amendment interests at…

A coalition formed “to combat copyright piracy and demonstrate the value of creativity”— Creative America—has changed its name to CreativeFuture. Major motion picture and television companies initially formed this group now that is now considering the future, the present day, and no doubt, the past as well. CreativeFuture now has individual members as well industry and trade groups. These new…

As the world becomes increasingly dependent on “smart” devices, powered by software and connected to networks, the security of the software and firmware they run on increases in importance.  Whether in video games, medical devices, automobiles, or the infrastructure of the Internet, security vulnerabilities offer opportunities for malicious actors to cause widespread and potentially drastic damage. According to the White…

In publishing a searchable database of thousands of emails from Sony Pictures Entertainment last month, Wikileaks has given the public a peek behind the curtain of the Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA) use of government power to silence free speech and stifle innovation. For months, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood has targeted Google with subpoenas — including a crushingly…

The following piece was co-authored by R Street Innovation Policy Director Mike Godwin. During the Great Depression, farm-equipment giant John Deere Co. famously refused to repossess tractors it had sold to American farmers who were having difficulties keeping up with their payment plans. In a particularly ironic illustration of just how much that spirit of bonhomie has evaporated in the…