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NEWS FEED
Startup News Digest 9/27/19
The Big Story: U.S., Japan reach deal on digital trade. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe announced this week that the United States and Japan reached a limited trade deal on agricultural products and digital trade. The limited accord, announced from the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, represents the first step towards a larger trade agreement between the two countries.
#StartupsEverywhere: Berkeley, Calif.
Geopogo, a 3D software company, is working on cutting edge augmented reality technology for design and construction. We recently spoke with Dave Alpert, CEO and co-founder of Geopogo, to hear his story and perspective on the startup ecosystem in Berkeley, Calif. Dave credits the success of his team to his leadership style of giving his team members space to work and thrive, like oxygen helps a campfire burn brightly.
Combat odious online content by supporting startups
As congressional leaders continue to explore ways of addressing online disinformation ahead of the 2020 elections, it’s important that policymakers understand the difficulties digital platforms already face before impulsively moving forward with flawed legislation that would roll back critical liability protections.
Startup News Digest 9/20/19
The Big Story: Lawmakers, tech industry take on hateful online content. Facebook, Google, and Twitter defended their efforts to combat online extremism during testimony before a Senate panel this week, even as some lawmakers pushed for measures that would force online platforms to take more drastic steps to remove hateful content.
#StartupsEverywhere: Houston, Texas
TMC Innovation, a sector of the Texas Medical Center, provides resources to healthcare startups from around the world so they can commercialize solutions to meet the needs of their member institutions. Tom Luby, director of TMC Innovation, recently spoke with us about the institute’s work and role in the American innovation industry.
Engine submits comments to Senate Judiciary IP Subcommittee on STRONGER Patents Act
Engine has submitted comments to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property following the panel’s Sept. 11 hearing on the Support Technology and Research for Our Nation’s Growth and Economic Resilience (“STRONGER”) Patents Act of 2019. Among other concerns, the proposed legislation would limit the availability of inter partes review (IPR) as a mechanism for improving patent quality.
Startups need a uniform federal privacy law
TLDR: California lawmakers have run out of time to fix problems in the state’s sweeping privacy law before it goes into effect next year, leaving startups hoping that Congress will step in and create a strong, uniform federal privacy law that protects consumers without creating unnecessary and costly burdens. If other states move forward with privacy legislation mirroring California's law, it will create a patchwork of requirements that will have an outsized impact on smaller companies hoping to operate across state lines.
Startup News Digest 9/13/19
The Big Story: CASE Act exacerbates existing copyright problems. The bill that could make copyright law more confusing and easy to misuse is making its way through the House. The House Judiciary Committee held a markup on Tuesday of the “Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2019,” or the “CASE Act.” As Engine IP Counsel Abby Rives explained in a recent InsideSources op-ed, the CASE Act—which passed committee on a voice vote—would “exacerbate existing problems in copyright enforcement and cause new ones.”
#StartupsEverywhere: Indianapolis, Ind.
The Speak Easy, a non-profit coworking space in Indianapolis, serves as a successful hub of entrepreneurial activity in the Midwest. Hosting startups and businesses from a variety of industries, The Speak Easy provides a setting for entrepreneurs to collaborate and innovate with one another. Julie Heath, The Speak Easy’s executive director, recently took the time to chat with us about the co-working environment, issues impacting local startups, and the space’s participation in Congressional Startup Day.
Competition policy needs startup perspective
What’s happening this week: State officials and federal policymakers are ramping up antitrust investigations into large technology companies amid growing concerns about market dominance and consumers’ data privacy.
Startup News Digest 9/06/19
The Big Story: Hate speech in the spotlight. As policymakers continue to think about problematic content on the Internet, 8chan and YouTube’s responses this week to the proliferation of online hate speech underscore the inherent difficulties of content moderation.
#StartupsEverywhere: Chicago, Ill.
Chicago boasts the highest percentage of female founders in the United States, with approximately 34 percent of the city’s startups run by women. One of these successful entrepreneurs is Reva Minkoff, an experienced digital marketing professional. As the founder and president of two digital marketing startups—Digital4Startups and DigitalGroundUp—Reva has been recognized for her leading role in Chicago’s startup ecosystem. We caught up with Reva to discuss her companies, the Chicago ecosystem, and some of the policy issues that are critically important to startups.
Congressional Startup Day 2019
Last month, throughout the final weeks of August, more than 50 members of Congress and their staff met with over 75 startups across the country, making Congressional Startup Day 2019 a smashing success.
Startup News Digest 8/30/19
The Big Story: Tech news from the G-7 summit. French President Emmanuel Macron announced during the G-7 summit that France and the United States reached “a very good agreement” to end a standoff on France’s new digital services tax on online platforms. In a press conference with President Trump, Macron said tech companies that pay the tax could deduct the amount after an international deal on taxing Internet companies is finalized next year.
#StartupsEverywhere: Inglewood, Calif.
The Los Angeles metropolitan area is home to more than 13 million people. It’s also home to Lemonlight, an Inglewood-based video production company that focuses on creating well-designed, affordable videos for companies across the U.S. and, soon, across the world. We recently spoke with Hope Horner, Lemonlight’s co-founder and CEO, about the startup’s work, her experiences in California, and her goals for the company moving forward.
IP Recap - 8/28/19
A recent Federal Circuit decision addressing the constitutionality of inter partes review (IPR)—a Patent Office review of a patent that has already been issued—is a positive development for promoting patent quality and leveling the playing field for startups involved in patent litigation. In Celgene Corp. v. Peter, the court held that IPR proceedings which result in the cancellation of issued patent claims are not an unconstitutional taking of private property. While it seems likely the Supreme Court will eventually weigh in on the question, for now IPRs remain available to startups who want to ask the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to take a second look at weak patents that arguably should have never issued.
Startup News Digest 8/23/19
The Big Story: 2019 Congressional Startup Day. This Wednesday, August 21st was Congressional Startup Day, a nationwide celebration of entrepreneurial communities across the United States. Lawmakers used the day to highlight the importance of the U.S. startup ecosystem, as well as learn more about the issues affecting startups in their districts and across their states. More than 50 members of Congress and their staffers agreed to meet with startups and entrepreneurs during the August recess as part of Congressional Startup Day festivities.
#StartupsEverywhere: Rochester, Minn.
Most of us think of wearables as the smartwatch on our wrist or the monitor embedded in grandma’s bracelet, but GoRout has imagined a new method for integrating software and wearable tech. We spoke with GoRout CEO Mike Rolih to learn more about his company, the Minnesota startup ecosystem, and how GoRout is improving efficiency in the game of football and beyond.
Lawmakers, entrepreneurs share Congressional Startup Day experiences
August 21st was the official celebration of Congressional Startup Day -- a unique opportunity for lawmakers to celebrate entrepreneurial excellence in their districts and states over the August congressional recess.
Opposition builds to French digital tax
What’s happening this week: Representatives from tech companies and industry trade groups slammed France’s new digital services tax yesterday during a hearing held by the Office of the United States Trade Representative, saying that the legislation unfairly targets U.S. tech companies. The hearing came after the French Senate last month approved a 3 percent tariff on tech companies with more than 25 million euros (approximately $27.7 million) in French revenue, or have a global revenue of more than 750 million euros (approximately $832 million) per year.