Last week, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously voted to approve the "Combating Online Infringements and Counterfeits Act" (COICA). The bill would allow the U.S. Attorney General to obtain a court order disabling web domains deemed to be “dedicated to infringing activities.”
Intellectual property scholars at the Competitive Enterprise Institute praised the bill in principle but warned that the legislation's current provisions threaten free speech and lack crucial safeguards to protect against the unwarranted suspension of Internet domain names.
“Combating piracy and counterfeiting on the Internet should be a priority for Congress, but care should be taken to ensure that legislative attempts to protect intellectual property rights do not harm other vital interests,” said Ryan Radia, CEI Associate Director of Technology Studies. “COICA’s overbroad definition of Internet sites 'dedicated to infringing activities' risks ensnaring legitimate websites. The bill also lacks a provision ensuring that Internet site operators targeted by the Attorney General have an opportunity to defend their site in an adversary judicial proceeding."
Over three dozen law professors recently submitted a letter to the U.S. Senate raising concerns about COICA, arguing that the bill suffers from “egregious Constitutional infirmities.”
“In its current form, elements of COICA raise serious First Amendment concerns,” said Hans Bader, CEI Senior Attorney. “If enacted, the law will not likely survive a constitutional challenge.”
Radia argued that Congress should amend COICA to provide for more robust safeguards, including:
• Providing a meaningful opportunity for Internet site operators to challenge before a federal court an Attorney General’s assertion that their site is “dedicated to infringing activities” prior to the domain name's suspension;
• Requiring that the Attorney General, prior to commencing an in rem action against a domain name, make a reasonable attempt to notify the site’s actual operator;
• Clarifying the definition of an Internet site “dedicated to infringing activities” to ensure that Internet sites with cultural, artistic, political, scientific, or commercial value that facilitate infringing acts by third parties do not face domain name suspension if their operators comply with legitimate takedown requests;
• Instructing the Department of Justice and federal prosecutors not to request that domain name registrars, registries, or service providers suspend domain names that have not been deemed to be “dedicated to infringing activities” by a federal court;
• Requiring the Department of Justice to compensate domain name registrars, registries, and service providers for any reasonable costs they incur in the course of disabling infringing domain names.
What do you think?
Showing posts with label online payments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label online payments. Show all posts
Monday, November 22, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Group says legislation threatens electronic commerce
Posted by Mark Brousseau
Reps. Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) today unveiled draft legislation aimed at improving online privacy that would impose new rules on companies that collect individual data on the Internet. But technology analysts at the Competitive Enterprise Institute warned that the proposed bill would actually harm consumers and hinder the evolution of online commerce.
“Substituting federal regulations for competitive outcomes in the online privacy arena interferes with evolution of the very kind of authentication and anonymity technologies we urgently need as the digital era evolves,” argues Wayne Crews, vice president for Policy.
“Today, businesses increasingly compete in the development of technologies that enhance our privacy and security, even as we share information that helps them sell us the things we want. This seeming tension between the goals of sharing information and keeping it private is not a contradiction -- it’s the natural outgrowth of the fact that privacy is a complex relationship, not a ‘thing’ for governments to specify for anyone beforehand,” Crews states.
“This legislation flips the proper definition of privacy on its head, wrongly presuming that individuals deserve a fundamental right to control information they’ve voluntarily disclosed to others online. But in the digital world, information collection and retention is the norm, not the exception. Privacy rights, where they exist, arise from voluntary privacy policies. The proper role of government is to enforce these policies, not dictate them in advance,” argues Ryan Radia, associate director of Technology Studies.
“If Rep. Boucher wants to strengthen consumer privacy online, he should turn his focus to constraining government data collection, which poses a far greater privacy threat than private sector data collection. A good starting point would be reexamining the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the outdated 1986 law that governs governmental access to private communications stored online. Strengthening these privacy safeguards, as a broad coalition of companies and activist groups are now urging, will empower firms to offer stronger privacy assurances to concerned users,” Radia states.
What do you think?
Reps. Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) today unveiled draft legislation aimed at improving online privacy that would impose new rules on companies that collect individual data on the Internet. But technology analysts at the Competitive Enterprise Institute warned that the proposed bill would actually harm consumers and hinder the evolution of online commerce.
“Substituting federal regulations for competitive outcomes in the online privacy arena interferes with evolution of the very kind of authentication and anonymity technologies we urgently need as the digital era evolves,” argues Wayne Crews, vice president for Policy.
“Today, businesses increasingly compete in the development of technologies that enhance our privacy and security, even as we share information that helps them sell us the things we want. This seeming tension between the goals of sharing information and keeping it private is not a contradiction -- it’s the natural outgrowth of the fact that privacy is a complex relationship, not a ‘thing’ for governments to specify for anyone beforehand,” Crews states.
“This legislation flips the proper definition of privacy on its head, wrongly presuming that individuals deserve a fundamental right to control information they’ve voluntarily disclosed to others online. But in the digital world, information collection and retention is the norm, not the exception. Privacy rights, where they exist, arise from voluntary privacy policies. The proper role of government is to enforce these policies, not dictate them in advance,” argues Ryan Radia, associate director of Technology Studies.
“If Rep. Boucher wants to strengthen consumer privacy online, he should turn his focus to constraining government data collection, which poses a far greater privacy threat than private sector data collection. A good starting point would be reexamining the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the outdated 1986 law that governs governmental access to private communications stored online. Strengthening these privacy safeguards, as a broad coalition of companies and activist groups are now urging, will empower firms to offer stronger privacy assurances to concerned users,” Radia states.
What do you think?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
WEB payments up, unauthorized transactions down
Posted by Mark Brousseau
Companies experienced cost savings in 2009 as people switched to lower cost ACH bill payments and companies spent less time managing unauthorized debits.
WEB bill payments (ACH payments initiated at the billing company's website) grew 9.7% in 2009 vs. 2008 and unauthorized WEB debits decreased 13% down to 0.04%.
One utility company in Florida continued their strong growth in 2009. However, this utility company has not always grown their electronic payments at impressive rates. Looking back to 2004, the utility's electronic payment adoption rate was well below industry average. The utility company substantially increased their electronic payment options and integrated the entire payment process resulting in a tripling of their electronic payment adoption rate.
Source: NACHA, April 7, 2010
Companies experienced cost savings in 2009 as people switched to lower cost ACH bill payments and companies spent less time managing unauthorized debits.
WEB bill payments (ACH payments initiated at the billing company's website) grew 9.7% in 2009 vs. 2008 and unauthorized WEB debits decreased 13% down to 0.04%.
One utility company in Florida continued their strong growth in 2009. However, this utility company has not always grown their electronic payments at impressive rates. Looking back to 2004, the utility's electronic payment adoption rate was well below industry average. The utility company substantially increased their electronic payment options and integrated the entire payment process resulting in a tripling of their electronic payment adoption rate.
Source: NACHA, April 7, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
More Growth for Online Retail
Posted by Mark Brousseau
Despite entering a more mature phase in its evolution, online retail in both the United States and Western Europe remains poised for a robust period of double-digit growth over the next five years, according to two new forecasts by Forrester Research Inc.
U.S. online retail will grow at a 10 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next five years to reach nearly $249 billion by 2014, Forrester predicts. Online retail within the largest European Union nations in Western Europe will grow at an 11 percent CAGR over the same period, hitting €114 billion by 2014.
"Much of the overall retail sector's growth in both the US and the EU over the next five years will come from the Internet," said Forrester Research Vice President and Principal Analyst Sucharita Mulpuru. "To maximize that growth, eBusiness professionals will have to help enable a multichannel strategy that responds to consumers' increased desire to hop between the offline and online worlds and their increasing mobile and social behaviors. The retail innovators over the next five years will demonstrate customer enablement across all touchpoints, not just via a PC-based Web browser."
Despite consumers' increasing use of the Web to research products before purchasing, most retailers fall short on offering a seamless cross-channel experience. According to Forrester's data, while 82 percent of US online consumers are satisfied with buying experiences that began and ended in a store, satisfaction drops to 61 percent for consumers who began their research online and purchased in a store.
The Forrester online retail forecasts for the US and the EU include business-to-consumer sales excluding auto, travel, and prescription drugs. The European Union forecast encompasses 17 Western European nations.
Highlights of the study include:
... In the United States, Web shopping will account for 8 percent of total retail sales by 2014.
...Three product categories dominate online retail: apparel, footwear, and accessories; consumer electronics; and consumer hardware, software, and peripherals. Together, those categories represent more than 40 percent of total online retail sales in the US.
... By 2014, 53 percent of total retail sales in the United States will be influenced by eCommerce as consumers increasingly use the Internet to research products before purchasing.
What do you think?
Despite entering a more mature phase in its evolution, online retail in both the United States and Western Europe remains poised for a robust period of double-digit growth over the next five years, according to two new forecasts by Forrester Research Inc.
U.S. online retail will grow at a 10 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next five years to reach nearly $249 billion by 2014, Forrester predicts. Online retail within the largest European Union nations in Western Europe will grow at an 11 percent CAGR over the same period, hitting €114 billion by 2014.
"Much of the overall retail sector's growth in both the US and the EU over the next five years will come from the Internet," said Forrester Research Vice President and Principal Analyst Sucharita Mulpuru. "To maximize that growth, eBusiness professionals will have to help enable a multichannel strategy that responds to consumers' increased desire to hop between the offline and online worlds and their increasing mobile and social behaviors. The retail innovators over the next five years will demonstrate customer enablement across all touchpoints, not just via a PC-based Web browser."
Despite consumers' increasing use of the Web to research products before purchasing, most retailers fall short on offering a seamless cross-channel experience. According to Forrester's data, while 82 percent of US online consumers are satisfied with buying experiences that began and ended in a store, satisfaction drops to 61 percent for consumers who began their research online and purchased in a store.
The Forrester online retail forecasts for the US and the EU include business-to-consumer sales excluding auto, travel, and prescription drugs. The European Union forecast encompasses 17 Western European nations.
Highlights of the study include:
... In the United States, Web shopping will account for 8 percent of total retail sales by 2014.
...Three product categories dominate online retail: apparel, footwear, and accessories; consumer electronics; and consumer hardware, software, and peripherals. Together, those categories represent more than 40 percent of total online retail sales in the US.
... By 2014, 53 percent of total retail sales in the United States will be influenced by eCommerce as consumers increasingly use the Internet to research products before purchasing.
What do you think?
Friday, May 29, 2009
Impact of the Economy on Online Banking Systems Purchasing Decisions
By Mark Brousseau
Today’s economy has presented challenges for banks to invest in new technologies, such as online banking solutions. However, for those banks that can, now is the time to do so, says Joe Spatarella, vice president, sales & marketing, Online Banking Solutions (OBS).
"With minimal activity and deal flow, this is an opportune time to move forward and negotiate an ideal vendor partnership to take you well into the future," Spatarella says.
Below are best practices that Spatarella offers for acquiring and deploying online banking solutions in a challenging and transforming economic climate. "With little or no margin for error, the following could help you win a greater share of customer revenue with a contemporary solution when others are afraid to move," he says.
1. Set your goals: Identify a solution that can differentiate the financial institution in a crowded market. Focus on improved user experience: semantics, navigation and ability to customize at the user level without expensive vendor modifications.
2. Walk a different path to success: Find a vendor that is truly willing to partner and share project risks rather than the 800 pound gorilla who is less likely to negotiate favorable terms or who makes promises that cannot be met.
3. Go with a fixed cost model: Annual license fees and fixed per user pricing is much easier to manage than variable transaction pricing.
4. Purchase in the present, not the future: While product roadmaps are important, be sure the vendor can deliver the product version you purchased at the time you need to deploy it
5. Share in project success: A vendor will be more likely to share the risk and contribute specialized resources if there is also an opportunity to benefit from project success.
6. Watch the clock: Give yourself enough time to make a decision and give the vendor a reasonable timeframe to deliver. Don’t use so much of the project timeline on evaluation that the vendor is left with a highly compressed window for implementation.
7. Minimize the frequency: The solution must be sustainable and scalable so that in 3 to 5 years, you are not looking for another vendor and having to repeat the process with valuable time and resources. Plan for continued success, not failure.
What do you think? Post your comments below.
Today’s economy has presented challenges for banks to invest in new technologies, such as online banking solutions. However, for those banks that can, now is the time to do so, says Joe Spatarella, vice president, sales & marketing, Online Banking Solutions (OBS).
"With minimal activity and deal flow, this is an opportune time to move forward and negotiate an ideal vendor partnership to take you well into the future," Spatarella says.
Below are best practices that Spatarella offers for acquiring and deploying online banking solutions in a challenging and transforming economic climate. "With little or no margin for error, the following could help you win a greater share of customer revenue with a contemporary solution when others are afraid to move," he says.
1. Set your goals: Identify a solution that can differentiate the financial institution in a crowded market. Focus on improved user experience: semantics, navigation and ability to customize at the user level without expensive vendor modifications.
2. Walk a different path to success: Find a vendor that is truly willing to partner and share project risks rather than the 800 pound gorilla who is less likely to negotiate favorable terms or who makes promises that cannot be met.
3. Go with a fixed cost model: Annual license fees and fixed per user pricing is much easier to manage than variable transaction pricing.
4. Purchase in the present, not the future: While product roadmaps are important, be sure the vendor can deliver the product version you purchased at the time you need to deploy it
5. Share in project success: A vendor will be more likely to share the risk and contribute specialized resources if there is also an opportunity to benefit from project success.
6. Watch the clock: Give yourself enough time to make a decision and give the vendor a reasonable timeframe to deliver. Don’t use so much of the project timeline on evaluation that the vendor is left with a highly compressed window for implementation.
7. Minimize the frequency: The solution must be sustainable and scalable so that in 3 to 5 years, you are not looking for another vendor and having to repeat the process with valuable time and resources. Plan for continued success, not failure.
What do you think? Post your comments below.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Alternative Payments Going Strong
Posted by Mark Brousseau
Online buyers turn to alternative payments
An interesting item from the Pacific Business News:
A growing number of online shoppers are turning away from traditional credit and debit cards and moving toward cash-based alternative payment options, according to a retail forecast survey released this week by Javelin Strategy & Research.
Alternative payments — such as PayPal, Google Checkout, Nacha SVP and Revolution Money — will become preferred choices for online consumers and will continue to grow over the next five years, increasing to one-third of online retail transaction volume by 2013, the survey said.
This year, alternative payments will reach $148 billion and rise to $268 billion by 2013.
The growth will be strong for companies that build brand awareness, said the survey.
As the trend grows, the survey urges banks and traditional card brands to expand their own prepaid card products and partner with alternative providers.
This holiday season, alternative payments will comprise $7.8 billion in purchases compared to $35 billion in traditional online payment methods.
What do you think? Post your comment below.
Online buyers turn to alternative payments
An interesting item from the Pacific Business News:
A growing number of online shoppers are turning away from traditional credit and debit cards and moving toward cash-based alternative payment options, according to a retail forecast survey released this week by Javelin Strategy & Research.
Alternative payments — such as PayPal, Google Checkout, Nacha SVP and Revolution Money — will become preferred choices for online consumers and will continue to grow over the next five years, increasing to one-third of online retail transaction volume by 2013, the survey said.
This year, alternative payments will reach $148 billion and rise to $268 billion by 2013.
The growth will be strong for companies that build brand awareness, said the survey.
As the trend grows, the survey urges banks and traditional card brands to expand their own prepaid card products and partner with alternative providers.
This holiday season, alternative payments will comprise $7.8 billion in purchases compared to $35 billion in traditional online payment methods.
What do you think? Post your comment below.
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