The Technology Policy Institute has confirmed presenters for the 2012 Aspen Forum breakout sessions. The three informal, off-the-record breakout sessions will cover the pertinent topics of copyright and piracy, cybersecurity, and the economics of internet infrastructure, content, and applications. The Aspen Forum is scheduled for August 19 – 21.
Press Releases
Philip Falcone to Speak at TPI Aspen Forum
Philip Falcone, Chief Executive Officer of Harbinger Capital Partners, will be the featured dinner speaker at the Technology Policy Institute’s 2012 Aspen Forum, scheduled for August 19 – 21. Falcone, is expected to share his perspective on investment and innovation in the communications industry, including his views on spectrum and broadband policy.
Online privacy: Do we need ‘Do-Not-Track’?
Can “self-regulation” adequately protect privacy online? That question was posed during a recent Senate Commerce Committee hearing focused on the current self-regulatory effort to develop a “Do-Not-Track” (DNT) mechanism – and answered in the negative by the committee’s senior Democrats, who believe privacy legislation is long overdue. Commerce Committee Chairman Rockefeller emphasized that he was speaking for consumers. But despite years of such hearings, the benefits to consumers of privacy regulation of any kind – let alone net benefits (i.e., benefits minus costs) – have yet to be demonstrated.
Event – The Effect of File Sharing on Music and Movie Sales: Reviewing the Research
While the majority of research on file-sharing has focused primarily on whether file-sharing has decreased record sales, less attention has been paid to how much of the sales decline can be attributed to file sharing. At the event, “The Effect of File Sharing on Music and Movie Sales: Reviewing the Research,” Stan Liebowitz, Ashbel Smith Professor of Economics at the University of Texas at Dallas, will discuss the findings of his recent paper, “The Metric is the Message: How much of the Decline in Sound Recording Sales is due to File-Sharing?” In the paper, Liebowitz applies a consistent metric to existing research and finds that most estimates indicate that file-sharing is responsible for the entire decline in record sales. Coleman Bazelon from The Brattle Group, Inc., coauthor of “The Impact of Digitization on Business Models in Copyright-Driven Industries,” will discuss the findings of Liebowitz’s paper.
TPI Aspen Forum Preview Agenda Now Available
A preview agenda is now available for the 2012 Technology Policy Institute Aspen Forum, scheduled for August 19 – 21. Confirmed keynote speakers include Erik Brynjolfsson, Schussel Family Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management and Director of the MIT Center for Digital Business; and Gordon Crovitz, Co-Founder of Press+ and Columnist and Former Publisher of the Wall Street Journal. The Forum will also feature a conversation with Representatives Marsha Blackburn and Cliff Stearns.
Event – The Future of Internet Economics
Internet data traffic growth shows no signs of slowing anytime soon and peak traffic is projected to grow even faster due to many factors, including growth in video and cloud-based services and richer content on major websites. The changing nature of demand for bandwidth has potentially large implications for our communications landscape. For example, it may already be straining long-standing peering and transit agreements as traditional balances of traffic change and is increasingly testing the viability of the traditional “all-you-can-eat” broadband pricing models.
Event – The Innovation Consensus: Economic Growth in 2013 and Beyond
The Technology Policy Institute, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, and Silicon Flatirons are pleased to host “The Innovation Consensus: Economic Growth in 2013 and Beyond.” The half-day conference will explore issues surrounding America’s innovation potential and how it impacts our global competitiveness. Participants will discuss how to move innovation issues to the front and center of our political system with support from both sides of the aisle.
Multistakeholder Process Needs to Represent Those Not Directly Involved
The privacy code of conduct developed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) multistakeholder (MSH) process will apply to many more consumers and firms than can be directly involved in the process. Therefore, code provisions should be analyzed in much the same way as a regulation in order to assure that they produce benefits in excess of costs, states Thomas Lenard in comments filed today with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. By adopting a process for cost-benefit analysis, the agency can ensure the interests of all stakeholders, including present and future Internet users, are represented.