Conferences

Senate leaders have scheduled consideration of Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy's patent reform legislation for February 28.

The Vermont Democrat pushed the bill out of the Judiciary Committee earlier this month and has pressed for its passage, calling the bill key to America's economic success.

"Innovation drives the nation's economy, and that entrepreneurial spirit can only be protected by a patent system that promotes invention and spurs new ideas," Leahy said in a statement.

On Wednesday Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and other top Democrats included the legislation in a packet of bills designed to boost innovation.

"It has been nearly 60 years since the last meaningful reforms of the nation's patent system were enacted," their agenda states. "Technological advances, improvements to manufacturing, and an evolving marketplace make it critical for the United States patent system to allow inventors and innovators to compete in the global marketplace."

Monday:
The International Association of Privacy Professionals holds its 2010 Global Privacy Summit. Events begin at 8 a.m.

The Politics Online Conference begins at 9 a.m. with a discussion with Internet officials from the Obama, Bush and Clinton administrations.

The Brookings Institution holds a discussion at 10 a.m. on "Telehealth and Mobile Communications: The New Frontier in Modern Emergency Preparedness."

Tuesday:
The International Association of Privacy Professionals holds its 2010 Global Privacy Summit. Events begin at 8 a.m.

The Politics Online Conference continues with a keynote speech from Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif. Events begin at 9 a.m.

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee holds a hearing at 11 a.m. on "Border Security: Moving Beyond the Virtual Fence."

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada holds a news conference at 2:15 p.m. on privacy and business.

Wednesday:
The International Association of Privacy Professionals holds its 2010 Global Privacy Summit. Events begin at 8 a.m.

The House Energy and Commerce Communications, Technology, and the Internet Subcommittee holds a 10 a.m. hearing on "The National Broadband Plan: Deploying Quality Broadband Services to the Last Mile."

The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a 10 a.m. hearing on "Combating Cyber Crime and Identity Theft in the Digital Age."

The Consumer Electronics Association holds its sixth annual "Digital Patriots" dinner at 6:30 p.m. where it will honor Reps. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Google Vice President Vinton Cerf.

Thursday:
The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a markup session at 10 a.m. Among the items on its agenda include a bill (S.446) that would permit the televising of Supreme Court proceedings.

The House Judiciary Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Subcommittee holds a 1 p.m. hearing on "Achieving the Promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the Digital Age - Current Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities."

The Senate Special Committee on Aging holds a hearing at 2 p.m. on the National Broadband Plan and health care technology.

Friday:
The Cato Institute holds a noon briefing examining whether immigration reform should require a national I.D. card.

There are several technology and telecommunications related events this week on Capitol Hill beginning on Tuesday with a 10 a.m. hearing before the Senate Judiciary Human Rights and the Law Subcommittee on the global Internet freedom.

Among those testifying at the Judiciary hearing include Assistance Secretary of State for Human Rights Michael Posner; National Telecommunications and Information Administration Associate Administrator Daniel Weitzner; Iranian blogger Omid Memarian; and Google Deputy General Counsel Nicole Wong, who will likely be pressed on the firm's spat with China over Internet freedom. After revealing that it had been the victim of a cyber attack originating from China, Google announced in January that it would stop censoring its search results for users in China.

Cybersecurity will likely be part of the focus of a House Homeland Security Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity and Science and Technology Subcommittee hearing on Wednesday at 2 p.m. focused on the Homeland Security Department's Science and Technology Directorate.

House Energy and Commerce Communications, Technology and the Internet Subcommittee will be holding an oversight hearing on Thursday at 10 a.m. on funding included in last year's economic stimulus package for broadband access and adoption.

Also on Thursday, the House Science and Technology Committee will hold a 10 a.m. hearing on reforming science, technology, engineering and math education in elementary and secondary schools.

And the Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on Thursday on the Homeland Security Department's intelligence programs and the effectiveness of state and local fusion centers, which have raised privacy concerns.

There are several tech and telecom-related events this week. Here are some of the highlights:

Tuesday, Nov. 17
Broadcasters and music executives will begin congressional-led negotiations over performers and record labels' demands for royalties for music played on radio stations.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Technology Committee will hold a hearing at 2:30 p.m. on aggressive sales tactics on the Internet and their impact on consumers.

The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on preventing terrorist attacks in cyber space and protecting privacy.

The House Energy and Commerce Communications, Technology, and the Internet Subcommittee will hold a hearing at 9:30 am on the Universal Service Reform Act of 2009,

The Copyright Alliance holds its EXPOnential conference with a discussion on copyright and innovation from 12-2 p.m., featuring House Judiciary ranking member Lamar Smith, R-Texas. A discussion on copyright and the local economy from 5-7 p.m. will feature House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich.

Wednesday, Nov. 18
The House Science and Technology Committee will meet to markup the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2009.

The FCC will hold an open meeting at 10 a.m. to consider a petition for a declaratory ruling to establish timeframes for state and local zoning authorities to consider wireless facilities siting applications and will hear an update on the status of the national broadband plan, being crafted by the FCC.

Thursday, Nov. 19
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on the collection of information both online and offline.

High-tech group Arts+Labs and George Washington University's Institute for Politics, Democracy & The Internet are hosting a network and technology policy forum on Thursday morning. The event, moderated by former FCC Chairman Richard Wiley, is being webcast live here. Here's the rundown:

Panel #1 - Networks for the Future (9:30-10:30)
Bret Swanson (Entropy Economics, WSJ Contributor)
S. Derek Turner (Research Director, Free Press)
Robert Curtis (FCC Director, Network Deployment)
Christopher Yoo (University of Pennsylvania Law School)

Panel #2 - Network Management and Delivering for the Consumer (10:45-11:45)
Richard Bennett (Information Technology and Innovation Foundation)
Robb Topolski (New America Foundation)
Dave Farber (Carnegie Mellon University)
Harold Feld (Legal Director of Public Knowledge)

Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg took issue Wednesday with proponents of FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski's so-called network neutrality plan who have suggested that network providers like Verizon and content providers like Google, Amazon and others occupy fundamentally different parts of the Internet ecosystem. The view that the Web is made up of "dumb pipes" on the one hand and "smart applications" on the other is a mistake, he told an industry conference in Chicago. "It fundamentally misreads how innovation happens in a dynamic and collaborative industry," he added.

"Our industry has shown that we can work with the government as well as our partners and competitors to achieve mutually desirable goals of more competition, consumer choice and broadband expansion. But we can't achieve these ends if we interrupt the flow of private capital and delay the cascading productivity impacts of a more networked world," Seidenberg said in a keynote at SUPERCOMM 2009 on the eve of a critical FCC meeting where commissioners will start crafting so-called network neutrality rules. He also warned against "pitting network providers and applications developers against each other in a zero-sum game."

Meanwhile, an open letter signed by 30 business investors in technology companies was sent today to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski on Wednesday. Prominent venture capitalists --including five of the top ten ranked investors on the 2009 Forbes "Midas List" - support "the Commission's ongoing efforts to adopt rules to safeguard the open Internet." The proposal will drive "investment, job creation, and consumer welfare," they wrote.

Read more about Genachowski's game plan and Thursday's Commission meeting in CongressDaily AM Edition here (subscription required).

... Sen. (and Saturday Night Live alumnus) Al Franken, D-Minn., appearing at the Future of Music Coalition's annual policy summit, which runs Monday and Tuesday at Georgetown University. Franken delivers a day one keynote at noon in the university's Gaston Hall, 37th and O Streets, N.W., followed by another keynote at 2 p.m. -- in the same location -- by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. In addition, Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., a House Energy and Commerce member, as well officials from the U.S. Copyright Office and Justice Department will join high-tech and entertainment industry executives for numerous panels on the challenges and opportunities facing creators and fans in the rapidly evolving music business.

Read a full rundown of this week's tech policy events at CongressDaily's TechCentral here.

House Foreign Affairs Chairman Howard Berman capped off Wednesday's U.S. Chamber of Commerce intellectual property summit by touching on a range of issues -- from patents to copyrights to trademarks. How does the former head of the now defunct Judiciary Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property Subcommittee keep abreast of the flurry of IP activity while heading up a panel with broad jurisdiction over international and diplomatic issues? "I can walk and chew gum at the same time," he said.

Berman said he hoped that the Senate will act on a version of a foreign relations reauthorization bill that would include language to increase resources and training for enforcement of IP rights. A bill he introduced, which overwhelmingly passed the House in June, would require the Secretary of State to appoint 10 new IP attachés to serve in embassies or other diplomatic missions with priority placement given to countries with particularly egregious IP regimes.

On the ongoing debate over whether and how to overhaul the U.S. patent system, Berman said he was hopeful that legislation could move forward. He noted that the Senate is poised to pave the way in the 111th Congress. Berman also said President Obama's nomination of the first White House IP enforcement coordinator last week should lead to "a more coherent and comprehensive federal policy." Rigorous enforcement and a focus on digital piracy should be at the top of that office's agenda, he said.

Days after an agreement was reached aimed at ensuring a permanent relationship between the U.S. government and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, experts from civil society, government, industry and academia will gather to discuss their hopes and fears about the future of the Internet. Topics at the Friday summit, being held at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, include cybersecurity, freedom of information in a Web 2.0 world, and privacy. Earlier this week, ICANN pledged to establish a review processes to help assess and improve its mission and operations. Read more in CongressDaily here (subscription required).

Speakers at the Internet Governance Forum-USA include Markus Kummer of the UN Secretariat for the global IGF; National Telecommunications and Information Administration chief Larry Strickling; and Lee Rainie of the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Other participants include Electronic Privacy Information Center Executive Director Marc Rotenberg; and TechAmerica President Phil Bond. The closing plenary, which will feature Ambassador Phil Verveer and Richard Beaird of the State Department, will cover upcoming deliberations over the global IGF - a process now in its fourth year. Read more about the event here.

A new law taking effect this week in the Bahamas, which would restore copyright protection for U.S. pay television content, is a small but important illustration of how ensuring respect for intellectual property and implementing trade commitments can create markets for American innovators, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said Wednesday. The new law would provide legal protection against unauthorized broadcasts of American programming and, if properly implemented, could mean "that literally overnight, American cable companies will have a new export market for their shows."

Kirk told a U.S. Chamber of Commerce IP conference that his team is committed to creating similar opportunities with the country's larger trading partners as well as smaller ones. He said this can be accomplished with the help of tools like the USTR's "Special 301" process, which has evolved into a year-round affair, not just an annual report card on the world's worst IP offenders. The USTR on Wednesday launched five out-of-cycle Special 301 reviews that had been announced in April.

"We are committed to using the Special 301 process to highlight the need for reforms to address new challenges like Internet piracy, as we did this year with Canada, and also using the process to recognize meaningful progress, as we did this year with Korea," Kirk said. He added that his is committed to robust and results-oriented dialogues to make progress on IP issues. In the coming weeks, Kirk will travel to China and India for bilateral meetings and IP will be an important component of those talks.

For more coverage of Kirk at the Chamber's IP summit, read CongressDaily's PM Edition.