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NSI Lends New Owners Policy Expertise
Brian O'Shaughnessy, director of policy communications for Network Solutions Inc., is moving to the West Coast for the rest of the year to build the public policy shop of Verisign, the Mountain View, CA, Internet security company that bought NSI. "Brian is on assignment to lead and coordinate our communications and policy efforts on the West Coast," said NSI spokesman Chris Clough. "It's part of a bigger integration between Verisign and Network Solutions. Network Solutions is fairly well known through the Internet community, but Verisign isn't as well known in the enterprise market," he said. Verisign's primary policy interests lie in the areas of security, privacy, digital signatures and encryption. With the merger, Verisign now ranks among the largest of Internet companies, Clough said. O'Shaughnessy previously worked for Rep. Ed Markey, D-MA, and later, the Internet Alliance.
The Justice Department has tapped Jeffrey Blattner, special counsel for information technology, to become acting assistant attorney general for Justice's Antitrust Division. Since 1998, Blattner served as top adviser to former Assistant Attorney General Joel Klein on the Microsoft antitrust case. As the new acting deputy, Blattner will oversee the division's ongoing litigation against Microsoft, as well as handling a variety of policy matters and initiatives involving intellectual property and technology. Blattner fills a vacancy created by John Nannes who is taking over the responsibilities of principal deputy from A. Douglas Melamed, who assumed leadership of the antitrust division since Klein left.
Internet lawyer, activist and author Mike Godwin has joined the Center for Democracy and Technology as a policy fellow. Godwin has extensive experience tracking the legal and social ramifications of cyberspace after a nine-year stint as staff counsel at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. He currently is chief correspondent for IP Worldwide and a columnist for American Lawyer magazine, both American Lawyer Media publications. He will continue in those roles while working for CDT. Godwin also has authored numerous articles on electronic search and seizures, free speech in electronic communications and the affect of international law on electronic communications, and a book — Cyber Rights: Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age. At CDT, Godwin will focus on online free expression and privacy issues.
Becky Richards, former international trade specialist on e-commerce at the Commerce Department, has been named director of compliance and policy for the privacy seal organization TRUSTe. During her tenure at Commerce, Richards helped negotiate the privacy data accord between the United States and European Union. "With (Richards') experience in helping to resolve domestic and international policy issues, Becky helps TRUSTe continue to establish itself as a critical tool in global privacy governance," said TRUSTe president and CEO Bob Lewin, a statement. Richards will work out of TRUSTe's Washington office to oversee the organization's compliance and policy departments. "By definition, Internet privacy is a global issue," Richards said. "Third party oversight organizations with strong dispute resolution mechanism played a big role in the privacy accord reached between the U.S. and EU. Joining TRUSTe gives me the opportunity to put my experience into practice by establishing TRUSTe as a global privacy protector."
The Business Software Alliance presented its "Cyber Champion Award" to Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern Monday. BSA is honoring Ahern's work overseeing the adoption of "the most modern copyright and electronic signature laws in Europe." BSA said the laws would promote the development of technology in Ireland and hopes that they would serve as a model for similar, pro-growth legislation in other European Union countries. Ireland passed the Irish Copyright Act, to crack down on software piracy and passed the Irish Government E-Commerce Act to implement the EU Electronic Signatures Directive designed to legally recognize electronic signatures.
Jack Kilby won the Nobel Prize Tuesday for his role in creating the microchip while he was at Texas Instruments in 1958. Kilby was the first to demonstrate a working chip, laying the foundation for high-speed computing. Kilby, though he took a leave of absence from Texas Instruments in 1970, still maintains ties with TI. He works and travels on industry and government consulting assignments throughout the world and also serves as director of several corporations, according to a biography provided by TI. Kilby will share the $915,000 prize with Zhores Alferov, a Russian researcher and Herbert Kroemer, a German-born researcher based out of the University of Santa Barbara. Alferov and Kroemer are credited with developing technology that is used in satellite communications and cell phones. The Nobel Prize will be presented on Dec. 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death in 1896.
Microsoft Senior Vice President Craig Mundie will be in Washington Tuesday and Wednesday to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the software giant's creation. Employees in Microsoft's Seattle offices celebrated the anniversary with a party last month at Safeco Field. The Washington, DC-based anniversary celebration will be held at Les Halles Tuesday evening. Separately, in an effort to promote local community redevelopment, Microsoft established a $5 million depository relationship with Seaway National Bank of Chicago, the largest black-owned bank in the nation, Seaway announced. "This deposit reflects Microsoft's commitment to investing in minority banks around the country that are making a positive impact in their local communities," said Microsoft President and CEO Steve Ballmer.
Women's rights groups are angry over a negative Web site targeted against Senate candidate first lady Hillary Clinton, arguing that it promotes violence against women, Politics Online reported. The site SlapHillary.com enables visitors to "slap" an animated version of Mrs. Clinton's face. Conservative writer David Horowitz's online FrontPage Magazine sponsors the site. FrontPage concedes that the site may appeal to "just plain mean-spirited" people. In response, supporters of the first lady fired back with their own negative Web site aimed at Clinton's opponent, Rep. Rick Lazio, R-NY — KickRick.com. The site, however, it not yet online, Politics Online reported.
During a Senate campaign debate Sunday, both Lazio and Hillary Clinton fell for a question based on a long-standing Internet hoax about a bill "602P" that would impose a 5 cent tax on every e-mail message sent, news agencies reported. Debate moderator Marcia Kramer asked the candidates who are running for an open Senate seat to represent New York where they stood on the bill, based on a question that the television station, WCBS-TV, had received via the Internet. Both Lazio and Clinton said they were opposed to the bill, though the bill doesn't exist. Lazio called the bill "an example of the government's greedy hand in trying to take money from taxpayers." While Clinton said: "I wouldn't vote for that bill…It sounds…not justifiable. I have been a supporter of a moratorium on taxation on the Internet." Clinton supporters said the first lady has not been a member of Congress so she wouldn't necessarily know a bill always begins with either "H.R." or "S." and never "P," while also using the opportunity to criticize Lazio for not knowing of the hoax, news services reported.
Capitol Hill was dotted with bow ties Friday in honor of House Commerce Committee Chairman Thomas Bliley, R-VA. Bliley was honored with a video tribute Friday during the last full committee meeting of the session. The Virginia lawmaker announced his retirement earlier this year. The video included clips from AOL Chairman Steve Case. and from Bliley's long-time tennis partner Rep. Howard Coble, R-NC. At the conclusion of the video, Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-LA, asked someone to rewind the tape, because he thought he saw something flashing at the bottom on the screen while Coble was speaking. Viewers found that the subliminal message said, "Coble cheats."
Tim Hugo, executive director of the Washington, DC-area high-tech lobbying group CapNet, was named among the top 40 rising stars in the DC business community by Washington Business Forward this month. "This year, like last, the big story is how technology is reshaping the local economy," the magazine said. "The vast majority of the (rising stars are) in the technology business." On Hugo, the magazine said, "there's still a wall between Washington business and politics. Hugo, 36, straddles it. You want him on that wall. You need him on that wall. You thought politics didn't matter: then the government broke up Microsoft, told Sprint and WorldCom to stay away from each other, and flexed its muscles over the AOL-Time Warner merger. Now you're a little concerned. Who you gonna call? Tim Hugo."
Speaking of CapNet, Vin Weber, Ed Kutler, and Mimi Simoneaux of Clark & Weinstock and the Washington, DC-area high-tech lobbying group are hosting a fundraiser for House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier, R-CA, on Wednesday at La Colline. A $500 contribution is requested for individuals, while $1,000 is request from political action committees. Dreier has been a leader in the House GOP on high-tech issues, most recently on a bill to increase the cap on H-1B visas.
 | - by Bara Vaida |
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