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| October 2006 |
- "American Think Tank Concerned by EU's Approach to Media Regulation," WDC Media News, October 27, 2006
"The European Union is considering regulations that would impose similar restrictions on Internet sites that include audiovisual content to those currently imposed on broadcasters in the EU."
"But Patrick Ross, senior fellow and vice president of communications at the Washington, DC-based Progress & Freedom Foundation, says the only way to achieve those objectives is through subjective content restrictions. Ross contends the initiative would present a danger when applied -- that is, who decides what content is reasonable and what is not. 'We have a First Amendment in this country, and I think we want to continue to adhere to that,' he says."
- "Chinese Mobile Content Standard Announced; Much Unclear," Communications Daily, October 26, 2006
"This could put a whole new spin on 'all the battles between Qualcomm and the rest of the world,' said Jim DeLong of the Progress & Freedom Foundation. China's licensing plans remain murky, as does the standard's application for international vendors, he said. Notwithstanding the Qualcomm battles, patent holders generally have made a legal commitment to license at reasonable prices and not to discriminate among those seeking licenses: 'We regard that as very progressive,' he said. The new Chinese standard could signal a more protectionist, monopolistic direction for the Chinese market, he said, or 'it could just be that they don't want to pay royalties to Qualcomm, and will open their standard to outside companies.'"
- "Groups Launch Digital Freedom Campaign," PC World, October 25, 2006
"The Digital Freedom groups talked about balancing rights, but their focus was entirely on user rights, added Patrick Ross, senior fellow and vice president for communications and external affairs for the Progress and Freedom Foundation, a free market think tank. Groups like CEA want the cost of music and other Web content to drop to near zero, but if artists don't get paid, Web content will dry up, Ross said.
"'We heard a lot of talk about rights, but no talk about artists' rights,' he said. 'Any talk about protecting rights has to protect the artists' copyright.'"
- "MLB Playoffs Move to Cable, But Who's Footing the Bill?," New York Sun, October 25, 2006
"On September 21, as he spoke before the Progress & Freedom Foundation in Washington, [Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian L.] Roberts was asked about the escalating cost of sports programming on cable TV. His response was somewhat surprising considering his company's holdings.
"'I think it's time to call for a dialogue, a serious dialogue on this subject.' Roberts responded. 'We would be very willing to participate without pre-conditions as to what the solution is. And I think there's a lot at stake and it's accelerating and it's the moment right now.'"
- "EU Plan to Regulate Web Stirs Criticisms," The Washington Times, October 25, 2006
"Patrick Ross, a senior fellow at the Progress & Freedom Foundation, a Washington free-market think tank, said the regulation, though well-intended, would have unwanted consequences.
"'One of the great difficulties of the Internet to a large extent is the Internet does not obey borders. When a company is operating across borders and they're facing disparate regulations, they face a choice of essentially operating two different companies or just operating at the highest level of regulation,' Mr. Ross said. 'And that could mean the EU's rules could essentially become the global rules.'"
- Tech Law Journal, October 24, 2006
"The Progress and Freedom Foundation (PFF) released a short paper titled 'The Patent Prejudice: Intellectual Property As Monopoly'. The author is the PFF's Solveig Singleton. While the 'assessment of IP as monopoly is now particularly predominant in international policy circles', writes Singleton, 'Neither patents nor copyrights can be fairly thought of as creating economic monopoly in a way that injures consumers.' She concludes that "rhetoric about monopolies is nothing but a distraction.'"
- "Hill Aides Gauge Future Lay Of Copyright Land," Tech Daily, October 23, 2006
"The panoply of copyright proposals introduced on Capitol Hill this year likely will re-emerge in the 110th Congress, House and Senate staffers said at a briefing Friday. They agreed that a potential partisan leadership change should not impact copyright issues."
"Stakeholders include music labels, songwriters, artists, publishers, photographers and illustrators, electronic game publishers, consumer electronics companies, digital media services, Internet service providers and countless others. 'It is an understatement to say that these are not easily resolved issues,' PFF Senior Fellow Patrick Ross said."
- "Deadline Nears for Comments on Ownership Restrictions," TV Week, October 20, 2006
"In filings late this week, the Progress and Freedom Foundation and the Media Institute suggested that the FCC ease its rules while some consumer and writers groups reiterated their opposition to an easing.
"In one set of comments, Adam Thierer, senior fellow at the Progress and Freedom Foundation, cited a series of 'myths' about the impact of consolidation, including one that diversity will suffer and niche and minority audiences won't have access to news, information or entertainment they want or need."
- "State Department Seeks Advice On Border Cards," GovExec, October 19, 2006
"Dan Caprio, president of the Progress and Freedom Foundation, said he wants to see the details of the request for information but expects to offer comments. 'We would oppose any sort of technology mandate pitting one portion of the industry against another,' Caprio said. 'Mandates are not productive, not good for innovation.'"
- "Universal Sues Video Sites," Internet News, October 18, 2006
"Jim DeLong, a senior fellow at the Progress and Freedom Foundation and director of the Center for the Study of Digital Property, said there are two possible theories behind the lawsuits.
"'The first would be that they are not complying with the safe harbor provisions of the DMCA,' he said. 'The second would be that under the Grokster decision, they are encouraging infringement.'"
- "Were Royalty Offers Made? AllofMP3, Labels Disagree," Washington Internet Daily, October 18, 2006
"AllofMP3 is creating a DMCA-like safe harbor for licensing music where none exists, said the Progress & Freedom Foundation's Patrick Ross. AllofMP3 talks a good game on artists' freedom to go outside their labels to negotiate, but they ignore the role artists have given to labels to protect their works, he said. It's obvious that the site markets beyond Russia by having an English-language version and posting music charts from Western countries, Ross said. The website could have compensated artists properly with the money they spent on a PR firm 'to hold a press conference in which they didn't say anything,' he added."
- "Privacy Options Limited for Net Services," The Associated Press, October 13, 2006
"Tom Lenard of the Progress and Freedom Foundation, a technology think tank that shuns government regulation, added that data retention lets credit card companies identify unusual activities and gives car dealers the ability to offer instant loans. Limiting what companies can do would hurt consumers, Lenard said."
- "Stock Option Probes Cost Two More CEO's Their Jobs," MarketWatch, October 12, 2006
"The fallout from the scandals goes beyond who occupies what office in a particular company. They've resulted in an erosion of consumer and investor trust, which in turn could undermine a huge swath of companies, according to Patrick Ross, a senior fellow at the Progress & Freedom Foundation.
"'Every day we learn of another company that had executives backdating options,' Ross wrote on his blog Wednesday. ‘With the images of the chief executives of Worldcom, Enron and others still fresh in our minds, the fallout, I fear, will be a further erosion of consumer trust.'"
- "Net Neutrality and Crisis Manufacturing," Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council News , October 11, 2006
"'Thomas M. Lenard, PFF Senior Fellow and Senior Vice President, observed: 'First, broadband is a very young, rapidly changing business. It is unclear what viable business models will look like as the industry evolves. Second, the rollout of broadband in its various forms entails hundreds of billions of dollars of investment capital... The question is whether you want to impose common carrier type regulation - which is what a net neutrality requirement would do - on a young industry, which would severely inhibit the development of business models, with potentially very serious consequences for the incentives to invest in broadband infrastructure.'"
- "Scandals May Spur Crackdown on Instant Messaging," Tech Daily, October 10, 2006
"A bill aimed at limiting minors' unrestricted access to IM services could be introduced, Progress and Freedom Foundation Senior Fellow Adam Thierer surmised on the organization's Web log.
"He said the prospect is 'interesting and troubling' because it could marry two distinct forms of regulation -- data retention and age verification of minors -- that have been discussed in Congress all year."
- "Capitol Hill," Washington Internet Daily, October 10, 2006
"The House Commerce Committee is as befuddled as everyone else chasing rumors that one or more members of Congress are considering introducing legislation on instant messaging, a spokesman told us Fri."
"Adam Thierer, Progress & Freedom Foundation senior fellow, said on the group's blog he was hearing that a bill could be introduced limiting minors' access to IM services."
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