Policy Issues || Objective & AeA Position || Events

AeA Actions and Accomplishments || Contact Information

• Digital Rights Management (DRM)
• Uniform Commercial Code, Article 2
• Patents & Trademarks
• Cyber Security

From patents and copyrights to trademarks and trade secrets, intellectual property is involved in every relationship our Member Companies enters into – whether it’s with the government, consumers, or even other companies. 

How intellectual property is treated in these various relationships will ultimately shape the future of the technology industry.  As a result, addressing concerns related to intellectual property rights – for owners and consumers alike – is of paramount importance to legislators.  

AeA believes that in order to foster the growth of the high-tech industry, as well as to promote consumer confidence, certain aspects of intellectual property need to be supported:

• Digital Rights Management:  AeA continues to support industry-led initiatives to establish appropriate technologies that protect content providers while preserving the rights of the consuming public to enjoy their legitimate expectations as to home recording and other fair uses. AeA will continue to advocate for the federal government to abstain from legislating in areas where there is no evidence of market failure. 
  
  

• Uniform Commercial Code, Article 2:  UCC Art. 2 deals with the sale of goods; recent amendments have been proposed that would contemplate goods that include intellectual property, which is normally licensed. AeA is opposed to any changes that would disturb the UCC’s stated purposes of serving as a series of fair default rules to govern when parties transact business outside a contract, and to create certainty, guidance, and uniformity within and across state law. 
  
  

• Patents & Trademarks: AeA fully supports responsible restructuring of the US Patent & Trademark Office that reflects a commitment to full-funding, the hiring and training of enough qualified examiners at pay scales competitive with the private sector, and electronic filing of patent and trademark applications. 
  
  

• Cyber Security:  AeA will continue to support government efforts to increase infrastructure security and create stronger penalties against hackers and online thieves. We will oppose any efforts to create mandatory reporting requirements for non-government entities.  

• Intellectual Property Symposium is a two-day symposium taking place on April 15-16, 2008 at the San Jose Fairmont and is presented by EE Times, Semiconductor Insights and Portelligent. Read more

• The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and AeA join together to fight IP theft, stop fakes...read more.  
  
  Stephen M. Pinkos, Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce, for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, speaks to AeA members in Texas.  
  
  Jon W Dudas, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, speaks to AeA members in Florida.
  
  
• AeA releases a new report, The U.S. Patent System:  Why It Has To Be Fixed
  Lengthy application processes, costly litigation, and the gaming of the patent system are helping to stifle, not promote, innovation.  Reforms are needed to help the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office redress these problems.
  
  
• AeA’s Digital Rights Management Coalition is currently working to ensure that any legislation or regulation that regulates DRM standards are technology neutral and supports a consumer’s Fair Use rights. AeA is a founding member of the Alliance for Digital Progress (ADP), a coalition of high-tech companies and trade associations fighting against DRM mandates. 
  
  
• Despite the protests of many industry groups, including AeA, the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws amended UCC Art 2, and is now in the process of promoting the amendments to state law makers. AeA will monitor the process, and continue to oppose adoption of the new UCC Art 2 at the state level. 
  
  
• AeA has successfully prevented anti-high-tech legislation from being passed in 8 states under the guise of theft of digital cable services legislation. While AeA fully supports the protection of intellectual property, we firmly believe that the proper way to do it is to criminalize the act of theft without jeopardizing innovative technologies, or the consumers who use them responsibly. 

Ben Aderson
Manager, Technology Policy & State Government Affairs/Counsel
601 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Suite 600, North Building
Washington, DC 20004
P: 202.682.4428
F: 202.682.9111
ben_aderson@aeanet.org

This page was last updated on 01/30/08.  
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