Last week, ACT | The App Association responded to the U.S. Copyright Office's request for comment regarding the operation of section 1201 of Title 17, including the triennial rulemaking process established under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Prior to the passage of the DMCA, there was widespread agreement that current law didn't provide adequate protection to copyright owners in the digital environment. Recognizing the significant economic benefits of the digital marketplace, Congress took up the issue, working to provide [...]

Yesterday, ACT | The App Association filed a motion in the U.S. District Court in California for leave to file an amicus curiae brief in support of Apple in the case of a locked iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino attackers. ACT | The App Association’s amicus brief accompanying the motion focuses on the enormous burdens that the government’s position would impose beyond Apple, and discusses the potential damage such a position threatens to inflict on a significant and growing sector of the U.S. [...]

One day after being rejected by the courts, the FBI was rebuked on Capitol Hill for demanding access to every software-enabled device at today’s House Judiciary hearing, “The Encryption Tightrope: Balancing Americans’ Security and Privacy.” FBI Director James Comey and NY District Attorney Cyrus Vance conceded that the access they sought was for more than one iPhone and would set precedent for accessing phones that have nothing to do with national security threats. Director Comey had no answer about alternatives [...]

ACT | The App Association applauds Senators Fischer, Ayotte, Booker, and Schatz for their introduction of the Developing Innovation and Growing the Internet of Things (DIGIT) Act. The widespread use of mobile devices has made consumers comfortable with fitness wearables, smart light bulbs, and connected refrigerators. All combined, the internet of things (IoT) is projected to be worth more than $947 billion by 2019. The real power of IoT comes from the actionable insights gathered by sensors embedded in every [...]

Today, New York Magistrate Judge James Orenstein said in a ruling that the United States government couldn’t use the All Writs Act to force Apple to hack into an iPhone that was seized in connection with a drug case.  This is the same law that the Department of Justice has cited in its action to force Apple to create new software to break into the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino attackers. In response to the decision, ACT | The App [...]

Over the past two weeks, we've seen the FBI's battle with Apple capture headlines and become an important topic in public discourse. Below is a brief FAQ to keep you up to speed on the latest developments and the serious issues at hand. To begin: what is encryption? Encryption is the process of converting information into a code readable only by the intended recipient. If captured or intercepted, the data is unintelligible. Encryption ensures that sensitive information is secure, giving [...]