Key lawmakers propose rolling back crucial Internet framework
State AI laws spark specter of burdensome patchwork
David Knight is a seasoned veteran of the startup world and has seen multiple companies through to success. He started Terbine to disrupt the electric vehicle charging space, and we spoke with him about the best startup ecosystems to live in, what it means to startups to have government support, and how policymakers can support STEM education.
José Padilla has an established track record of providing efficient, low-cost legal services. With LegalMente AI, he’s able to provide that same quality of work to those in need, including early-stage startups. We sat down with him to talk about what policymakers need to know about the uses of AI, how to keep the U.S. innovation ecosystem the most competitive globally, and his motivation to provide the most efficient work possible.
After overcoming childhood shyness in the warmth of his local Caribbean-owned barbershop, Royon Jeffrey knows the power of the beauty industry firsthand. He set out to create ListedB, an online marketplace for beauty industry professionals. We spoke to him about the financial opportunity within the industry, navigating capital access and investors, and his desire to empower small businesses owners.
This afternoon, Engine released a letter signed by 118 startups, entrepreneurial organizations, and other companies—including GitHub, Postmates, Reddit, and Twitter—asking the Trump administration to reconsider its recent suspension of work visas for high-skilled foreign workers, including those issued under the H-1B visa program.
The administration’s decision to halt the issuance of work visas—including those under the H-1B program—for highly-skilled foreign workers will needlessly harm the tech industry and U.S. startup ecosystem that rely upon talented employees to drive global innovation. Instead of helping startups and small businesses recover from the coronavirus pandemic’s economic downturn, this proclamation hampers the tech sector’s ability to respond to the ongoing outbreak by limiting the effectiveness and reach of its workforce.
The White House’s executive order on “preventing online censorship” is a dangerous move that will encourage bad faith lawsuits, and dismantle the fundamental and commonsense legal framework that startups depend on to compete in today’s Internet ecosystem and keep their platforms free of objectionable content.
Although the U.S. Small Business Administration officially postponed last week’s 57th annual National Small Business Week (NSBW), that didn’t stop policymakers, entrepreneurs, and founders from recognizing the importance of the nation’s 30.7 million startups and small businesses all across the country. With many businesses struggling right now as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, congressional leaders from across the political spectrum took the opportunity to voice their support for small business growth, innovation, and success.
Engine, Unified Patents, CableLabs, The Niskanen Center, and The R Street Institute filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court this week in support of General Electric’s request that the Court consider whether competitors may bring patent validity disputes to the patent office and patent appeals court.
The Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies (or EARN IT) Act from Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) addresses a critical issue—stopping online child exploitation, which is a goal that startups share. But, as currently drafted, the bill threatens to unnecessarily disrupt the regulatory framework that has helped the Internet flourish and potentially ban the use of strong encryption technologies that protect user safety.
The United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) signed by President Donald Trump this morning is a welcome step for startups looking to innovate and grow on a global scale. USMCA has been hailed as a template for future trade agreements between the U.S. and other countries, and we’re pleased that the deal includes startup-friendly provisions that defend IP rights and promote intermediary liability protections.
Engine submitted comments to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office last week in response to the agency’s request for public comment on “the impact of artificial intelligence (“AI”) technologies on intellectual property law and policy.”
Last week, Engine and the Electronic Frontier Foundation submitted comments to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in response to the agency’s call for comments on patenting artificial intelligence inventions. The USPTO is collecting information to determine “whether further guidance is needed to promote the predictability and reliability of patenting [AI] inventions and to ensure that appropriate patent protection incentives are in place to encourage further innovation in and around this critical area.”
Engine submitted comments to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law following the panel’s October 29th hearing on competition in labor markets.
The House’s vote in favor of the CASE Act is disappointing, particularly because there were no hearings or debates in the lower chamber to discuss the many flaws in this legislation. The bill is purportedly designed to protect small copyright holders by establishing an extra-judicial Copyright Claims Board within the U.S. Copyright Office to adjudicate infringement claims outside of a federal court setting. However, without the traditional safeguards of the federal courts, this newly established tribunal would have the authority to grant substantial financial damage awards — up to $30,000 per proceeding — to potentially abusive parties looking to strong-arm settlements from unsuspecting companies and online users.
Five San Francisco-based tech companies sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senators Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) today, expressing “significant concerns” with the CASE Act. The proposed bill would create an extra-judicial board within the U.S. Copyright Office to adjudicate copyright infringement claims outside the traditional safeguards of federal court.
“Today’s DC Circuit Court decision is disappointing, particularly because the court, like the FCC, failed to take seriously the reliance interests of startups, entrepreneurs, and investors on the FCC’s enforcement of net neutrality protections. The startup ecosystem has grown over the past decade precisely because of the FCC’s long history of using its authority to stop abusive ISP practices—authority the current FCC has now abandoned.”
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