Senator Wyden Honored for Leadership in Technology
This week Senator Wyden was honored by the Consumer Electronics Association's (CEA) with their 2012 Digital Patriot Award for his leadership in Congress advancing technology entrepreneurship and preserving innovation while securing an open, accessible Internet. Most notably, CEA recognized his efforts to stall and ultimately defeat the Protect IP Act (PIPA) and Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).
In his remarks, Wyden noted the grassroots effort to combat PIPA and SOPA saying, “The fight for the open Internet and the networks that empower it was a group.” Further, he reflected upon its impact on innovation initiatives, “This historic win in terms of the debate about [Protect IP] and SOPA was not primarily between overzealous rights holders and the protectors of the free and open Internet. It was also a proxy discussion for how we’re going to promote innovation in our country.”
For the awards presentation, CEA showed the following video with remarks from Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), Representative Darrell Issa (R-California), Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-California), Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), Representative Jared Polis (D-Colorado), Michael Petricone, Vinton Cerf, Michael McGeary and Gigi Sohn:
Also receiving the 2012 Digital Patriot Award were David Rubenstein and Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Senator Wyden’s co-author of the GPS Act—bipartisan legislation which creates a legal framework designed to give government agencies, commercial entities and private citizens clear guidelines for when and how geolocation information can be accessed and used.
In related technology news:
04/25/2012: During a Senate Finance hearing, Senator Wyden and his colleagues, made a strong case for new rules for digital commerce saying, “We’ve got smart phones today and dumb tax policies.” Wyden and others are seeking to enact legislation this year to end discriminatory taxes on wireless services and digital goods and services.
04/26/2012: Senator Wyden joined the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) Washington Caucus to discuss issues facing today's technology and trade industries, including the Trans Pacific Partnership, or TPP, negotiations and the Jackson-Vanick amendment. [View photos.] In March, Wyden pressed U.S. Trade Representative Kirk on the ongoing TPP negotiations.
03/15/2012: Senator Wyden delivered the keynote address at the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) Annual Dinner celebrating Internet innovation.