BSA announces 2006 legislative priorities
The Business Software Alliance has announced its legislative priorities for 2006, in a policy agenda posted here. Highlights include:
Copyright
"Stopping piracy without stifling innovation -- Content companies are proposing legislation to mandate that specific technology solutions be incorporated into product design to deter piracy. Such requirements would constrain the functionality of software and hardware and burden technology companies with obligations to design to prevent the misuse of content. BSA has strong reservations about such rules, although we strongly support the goal of finding ways to limit piracy."
Spyware
"BSA supports efforts to address data breach notification and spyware -- These efforts must appropriately focus on punishing bad actors, not 'bad' technology."
"BSA supports a limitation on remedies against developers of anti-spyware tools -- Developers of anti-spyware software are threatened with lawsuits for defamation and interference with their business by spyware companies. These threats are disrupting the development of tools that empower consumers to stop unwanted software from being installed on their computers."
Cybercrime
"The Senate should ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime -- The Treaty requires countries to adopt a core set of criminal laws against hacking,consumer-facilitated fraud, and other illicit online activities. It would require no new laws in the United States."
The Treaty was signed in 2001 by numerous countries but ratification has been more limited, see chart.
The BSA also supports patent reform, governmental R&D spending on information technology, and free trade, and it opposes government-imposed technology mandates.
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