The Copyright Claims Board: Offering Low-Cost Resolution for Small Infringement Claims
It isn’t often that a government entity implements a low-cost and user-friendly solution to real-world problems. However, that is exactly what the U.S. Copyright Office just did. Congress passed the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2020 (CASE Act), directing the Copyright Office to establish the Copyright Claims Board (CCB). We supported the CASE Act as a means of helping smaller copyright owners like app makers protect their intellectual property using a process that is more affordable and accessible than the federal [...]
Consumer Digital Anxiety Levels Rise Over Privacy and Security Concerns
National polling indicates that Americans are concerned about what pending legislation could do to the safety and security of trusted marketplaces (WASHINGTON, DC) Monday, July 18 --Today, ACT | The App Association and Morning Consult released national polling indicating that Americans have increased concerns around their personal privacy and security should trusted platforms be compromised if the Open App Markets Act (S. 2710) and the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (S. 2992) become law. Polling captured 2,000 adults’ (18+) [...]
Telehealth by the Numbers: What Happens if Telehealth Coverage Goes Away?
Through the surges and lulls of the COVID-19 pandemic, American patients of all ages and backgrounds turned to virtual care to fulfill a wide range of healthcare needs. For seniors, the need for virtual care was especially important, as caregivers sought to keep them home to avoid possible exposure to COVID-19 at the office. Unfortunately, the statute governing Medicare’s coverage of live audio and video visits was enacted at a time when live video calls with a caregiver from anywhere [...]
A Federal Privacy Law is Closer Than Ever
For the last few years over at ACT | The App Association HQ, we’ve had a recurring bit about every year being the “year of privacy.” After earnestly saying it in 2019 and having our hopes dashed (partially at least), we kept repeating it to ourselves, half in jest, half in sincere hope that sending positive vibes into the universe would help will something into existence. That’s not to say that we don’t take the issue incredibly seriously, we do [...]
What are Consumers Really Telling Us About App Stores?
Debate over the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA, S. 2992/H.R. 3816) and the Open App Markets Act (OAMA, S. 2710/H.R. 7030), two antitrust bills pending in Congress, is heating up. We oppose the bills in part because of the effect they’d have on consumer trust in the app stores—which, in turn, would disproportionately hurt smaller developers. We conducted some polling in key states to test how consumers feel about this too, and the results corroborate what our member [...]
Step-Kick, Kick-Leap, Kick…Code?
Adriana Holst is one of several summer interns joining us at ACT | The App Association to build, grow, and develop further opportunities as they relate to her computer science and musical theatre studies at Ohio University. As Adriana enters her senior year, and as a new graduating class of students are preparing to enter the workforce, we’re highlighting how prepared (or unprepared) the future innovators of the app economy feel about this upcoming transition, how their academic careers could [...]