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NEWS FEED
Engine Submits Letter to Senate on Copyright Fair Use and the DMCA
In recent comments filed with the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Engine emphasized the importance of copyright fair use and urged that it continue to be protected and permitted online. Fair use is an essential component of copyright law that allows creators and users to engage in certain authorized uses of copyright content, which is important because overly-rigid application of copyright law could otherwise stifle innovation and creativity. And as we explain in the letter, startup platforms in particular benefit from balanced copyright law because they are able to serve users and creators who rely on fair use without having to worry about potentially ruinous copyright infringement litigation.
Engine, startups push White House to reconsider suspension of work visas
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.
Statement on the Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act
Simply put, the Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act—introduced by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.)—is bad for the privacy and security of startups and their users.
Statement on the Trump Administration’s Proclamation to Suspend Visas for Foreign Workers
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.
Statement on the Supreme Court's DACA Decision
Today’s Supreme Court ruling rejecting the Trump administration’s rollback of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is a victory for the 800,000 Dreamers who received protections from deportation under the 2012 program.
Statement on the Limiting Section 230 Immunity to Good Samaritans Act
The Limiting Section 230 Immunity to Good Samaritans Act from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is a barely legible piece of legislation that would effectively ban all content moderation on Internet platforms.
Statement on Executive Order on Content Moderation
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.
Looking Back on a Modified National Small Business Week
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 asks Supreme Court to correct imbalance in patent review and appeal process
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.
Statement on the Consumer Data Privacy and Security Act
Engine is proud to support the Consumer Data Privacy and Security Act, new legislation from Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) that establishes clear federal standards for how businesses should collect, store, and utilize their users’ personal data.
Statement on the EARN IT Act
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.
Engine Applauds Signing of USMCA
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 submits comments on AI systems and IP law and policy
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.”
Engine submits comments on U.S. Copyright Office modernization
Engine submitted comments this afternoon to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property following the panel’s Dec. 10th oversight hearing on modernization of the U.S. Copyright Office.
NUTS & BOLTS of ENCRYPTION
Despite how often we use encryption—and how prominent the encryption debate has become in policy circles—few understand how it actually works.
Engine submits comments to USPTO on AI inventions
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 submits comments to House Antitrust Subcommittee on non-compete agreements
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.
Engine submits comments to Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on patent quality
Engine submitted comments to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property following the Subcommittee’s October 30th hearing to consider what Congress can do to prevent the issuance of low-quality patents.
Engine's statement on House passage of CASE Act
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.