404 Error: How Legislation Intended to Grow the App Economy Could End Up Hurting It— Part 2
Over the last several years, regulators, Congress, and most recently state legislatures, have been taking a hard look at “big tech” companies, the relationship they have with small businesses, like our members, and have raised concerns about competition in the digital market. We also have concerns. Real-life concerns that transcend political donations or complicated, misleading language found in legislation in statehouses across the United States. When we look at legislation like Rhode Island’s HB6055, we see through what seems to be [...]
App Makers Tour of Europe – France
Version française ici On 13 July 2021, ACT | The App Association continued its App Makers Tour of Europe. During our third stop in France, local app developers, policymakers, industry representatives, and regulators shared their views on the local app economy and the opportunities and challenges developers face today. Our panel also discussed the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and how it could affect app developers and the broader technology ecosystem. The webinar began with opening remarks and a warm welcome [...]
Tour d’Europe des App Makers – France
English version Le 13 juillet 2021, ACT | The App Association a poursuivi son Tour d’Europe des App Makers . Lors de notre troisième étape en France, des développeurs d'applications locaux, des décideurs politiques, des représentants de l'industrie et des régulateurs ont discuté de l'économie des applications en France et des opportunités et défis auxquels les développeurs sont confrontés aujourd'hui. Notre panel a également débattu de la loi sur les marchés numériques, le Digital Markets Act en anglais (DMA) et [...]
Celebrating Patent Quality Week with High Hopes for a Stronger Patent System
There is reason for optimism this Patent Quality Week as intellectual property (IP) leaders in Congress contemplate options to strengthen the mechanisms in place to weed out weak and overly broad patents. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chairman of the Intellectual Property Subcommittee, recently reflected on these priorities on the Senate floor on World IP Day in a speech describing some of the attributes he wants to see in the next United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) director. In those [...]
Member Spotlight: Cyclopic
Reinventing the wheel: How Cyclopic’s centreless wheel system is revolutionising electric vehicles Cyclopic has recently joined the ACT | The App Association to connect with other companies, increase their knowledge of standard-essential patent (SEP) issues and be a part of our shared sector voice. Cyclopic is a pioneering technology company that is revolutionising the electric vehicle (EV) and micro-mobility (small, lightweight vehicles) markets. Founders Allan and Carol Rallings want to change the way we travel by focusing on something common [...]
Update: What tech SMEs should know about Germany’s modernised Patent Act
ACT | The App Association is a long-time advocate of strong intellectual property protections and works hard to include our members’ voices in the relevant policy development processes taking place across the EU. Small tech businesses thrive in environments where they can enjoy legal certainty and which reflect widely accepted fairness principles. However, tech small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have long faced difficulty in Germany. Under the current legal framework, courts issue injunctions against those accused of patent infringement without [...]