For Entrepreneurs, Anti-Merger Enforcement Policies Hurt Small Business
Morgan Reed, president of ACT | The App Association, statement on the announcement that Amazon and iRobot agreed to terminate Amazon’s pending acquisition of iRobot: “For our members and fellow innovators, acquisition is a critical path for future growth. Today’s announcement that Amazon is being forced to terminate the acquisition of iRobot is a dangerous signal to entrepreneurs and financial backers that opportunities to succeed are being artificially limited. “A barrier to exit is a barrier to entry. When entrepreneurs [...]
ACT | The App Association statement from founder and chairperson Mike Sax on the JURI Committee Vote on the SEP Regulation
Brussels, 24 January, 2024 — ‘The Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament has taken a significant step forward today by advancing the SEP Regulation, a development that bodes well for SMEs. This Regulation is a measured yet vital step towards enhancing fairness and transparency in the licensing of standard technologies. By nurturing innovation, the SEP Regulation paves the way for today's startups and SMEs to flourish and evolve into tomorrow's industry leaders. We eagerly anticipate the continued advancement of [...]
EU Commission Dims Exit Opportunities for Entrepreneurs
Morgan Reed, president of ACT | The App Association, statement on reports that competition officials from the European Commission (EC) intend to block Amazon’s acquisition of startup iRobot: “Restrictions on companies being acquired dim opportunities for our members. This possible limitation becomes a barrier to exit, and for our members, a barrier to acquisition equates to a barrier to entry. “Our members look to acquisitions as a key part of building their future. The EC’s decision does nothing to help [...]
Global ACTivists for Change: An Open Letter to Leaders Around the World
The global members of ACT | The App Association are innovative small businesses and enterprises changing the way we live, work, and play through apps and connected technology. Our members are leading the next generation of trailblazers working to solve problems and fill gaps across the app economy—from artificial intelligence (AI) and healthcare to privacy, education, and green tech—and they’re harnessing the power of the app ecosystem to drive change. For our members to continue improving the lives of their [...]
Imitation Is Not Flattery: Introducing the NO FAKES Act
There is no question that generative artificial intelligence (GAI) is changing the way businesses develop code, visual art, music, and other creative works but, as we have identified in here, growing pains still persist as intellectual property, security, and privacy concerns are being closely scrutinized. One such growing pain is the ability for bad actors to imitate an individual’s identity using GAI for their own interests. Of course, there is recourse: the right of publicity. Most states across the country [...]
Reviewing the Reviewers: What They’re Getting Wrong About Congress’ Track Record on Privacy
Frustrated advocates are saying that Congress is falling down on the job by declining to enact the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA, S. 1409) and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0, S. 1418). One Wired article summarizes the legislative process those bills traversed and cites harms accruing to kids on social media to support its conclusion that Congress’ job is to pass KOSA and COPPA 2.0. “Why hasn’t Congress protected kids yet?” the author asks unironically. [...]