CEA supports legislation that combats the recent explosion of lawsuits brought by non-practicing entities, better known as ‘patent trolls.’ Every dollar companies spend fighting baseless lawsuits is a dollar not spent on creating jobs and developing new products, which makes it more difficult for the American CE industry to compete internationally.

• April 17, 2013 - Policymakers, public interest groups and innovators gathered with press to discuss the growing problem of patent litigation abuse.  Rep. Jason Chaffetz along with CEA Chairman Jay McLellean, VOXX’s Pat Lavelle, Cobra’s Jim Bazet, EFF’s Julie Samuels, and Engine Advocacy’s Josh Mendelsohn emphasized patent litigation’s toll on innovation and emphasized their support for the anti-patent troll SHIELD Act.

• February 27, 2013 - CEA Press Release: CEA Supports SHIELD Act

• December 10, 2013 – CEA Press Release: CEA Commends DOJ and FTC on Joint Workshop to Limit Patent Trolls 

CEA supports Internet Freedom, both at home and abroad. The open and uncensored Internet is a great engine of social and economic progress – but it is under threat. Through the United Nation’s agency, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a number of countries are attempting to establish greater governmental control of the Internet. Their efforts, if successful, could destroy the open and innovative technology platform that millions around the world need and trust. CEA commended Ambassador Terry Kramer and the U.S. for refusing to sign the revised International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) in December 2012. CEA continues to support an open Internet and encourages the federal government to make it the official policy of the United States to promote a global Internet free from government control.

• April 17, 2013 – CEA Press Release: CEA Praises House Commerce Committee for Supporting Internet Freedom

• February 5, 2013 – CEA Press Release: CEA Reinforces Call for Internet Freedom

• December 14, 2012 – CEA Press Release: CEA Expresses Strong Concern Over ITU Actions Regarding Internet Governance 

Under today’s outdated rules, Internet radio providers are forced to pay a significantly larger percentage of royalties than their competitors. In some cases, Internet radio providers pay half of their annual revenues in performance royalties, while other music providers pay less than 10 percent. The Internet Radio Fairness Act of 2012, supported by CEA after it was introduced during the 112th Congress, would extend to webcasters the same standard for determining copyright royalty rates used by all other forms of non-broadcast radio. By rationalizing the royalty structure, the Internet Radio Fairness Act, if reintroduced and passed, will stimulate investment in the internet music industry. That means more royalties for artists, more choices for consumers, and more exciting new products and services for Internet music.

CEA supports a balanced approach to enforcing intellectual property rights that protects fair use and does not limit advancement of innovation. Last year, CEA hailed the congressional decision to pull votes on the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) in  and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) which would have hurt legitimate businesses and cost American jobs. We continue to actively oppose legislative and regulatory proposals that unduly burden legitimate commerce, impede innovation or restrict the free flow of information.  

• April 19, 2013 – CEA Press Release: CEA Applauds New York Court “YouTube” Ruling Protecting Internet Freedom