Small Business Innovation and Job Creation Hang in the Balance – Will the World Trade Organization Extend the Moratorium on Customs Duties on Electronic Transmissions?
A foundational international agreement, in place since 1998, that has enabled micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) around the world to grow and compete in the digital economy is currently facing expiration. Its renewal during the World Trade Organization’s (WTO’s) 13th Ministerial Conference taking place in Abu Dhabi next week (February 26-29) is a must for MSMEs to equitably and efficiently bring their innovations to new markets. MSMEs are the driving force behind innovation across countless consumer and enterprise use [...]
ACT | The App Association statement from UK country manager Stephen Tulip on the Intellectual Property Office (IPO)’s Standard Essential Patents (SEP): 2024 forward look
Statement from Stephen Tulip, UK Country Manager at ACT | The App Association on the Intellectual Property Office (IPO)’s Standard Essential Patents (SEP): 2024 forward look, published today. ‘With this announcement, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has confirmed that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are especially disadvantaged by the current standard-essential patent (SEP) licensing ecosystem. ‘It is deeply concerning that the IPO has chosen not to seek opinions on the application of injunctions in SEP disputes. For most SMEs, the [...]
ACT | The App Association Supports the Agreement of Six Leading Nations to Avoid Digital Services Taxes
The United States, Austria, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom have announced an extension of their 2021 agreement to transition from existing digital services taxes (DSTs) and to align with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)/G20 Inclusive Framework through June 30, 2024. ACT | The App Association applauds the United States, Austria, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom for committing to avoid DSTs. The unilateral imposition of DSTs on the digital economy, such as the DST [...]
Calling All Senators: Developers Need Relief
Over the past few months, ACT | The App Association and our members have been at the forefront of advocating to restore crucial research and development (R&D) tax relief found in Section 174 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). Rewarding best practices through tax incentives, such as R&D deductions, empowers small companies to improve business cash flow and increase investment capabilities. The introduction of the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 marks a commendable stride towards [...]
Buyer’s Remorse: App Giants Reap What They Sow in Europe
Well, well, well, the saying goes … if it isn’t the consequences of my own actions. As compliance plans roll out under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in Europe, self-aware DMA advocates must be thinking these rueful thoughts. But it’s never a sentiment anyone wants to express unironically in public. The largest companies in the world that distribute apps through the main app stores certainly are not admitting they made a mistake. Instead, they’re melting down over Apple’s compliance plan, [...]
Developers Respond to DMA Compliance Plans: “Wait and See”
Last week Apple announced changes to the terms of service for developers and others seeking to be part of the iPhone ecosystem. These changes, implemented for European Union (EU) citizens as part of the compliance requirements under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), created a brief moment of hand wringing on X (formerly Twitter) by talking heads and the handful of companies seeking to renegotiate Apple’s service fees. Ultimately though, the vast majority of mobile app developers replied with a [...]