WASHINGTON, DC - Robert Holleyman, president and CEO of BSA, the global trade association representing the software industry, testified before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs’ hearing on “The Google Predicament: Transforming US Cyberspace Policy to Advance Democracy, Security, and Trade.”
Holleyman said in his oral testimony:
US companies more than any others are responsible for the spread of the Internet as an open platform for communication. An open Internet brings with it the spread of information and new abilities to connect across national boundaries – which is inherently good for US foreign policy. It is critical to US foreign policy for American companies and American products to be present in these markets.
But our industry leadership is threatened by an abundance of overseas market challenges. I will address three of those challenges today: Legal environments that create significant barriers for US companies; tolerance of industrial theft of our intellectual property; and the threat of cyber attacks and cyber intrusions.
We believe strongly that it is in both our foreign policy interest and in our domestic economic interest for US technology companies to be present in overseas markets, providing the software and hardware platforms that have done so much to connect the world. We urge the Congress and the Administration to pursue policies that will enable US technology companies to succeed in these markets.”
The full, written testimony can be found here: http://www.bsa.org/~/media/Files/Policy/Testimony/Testimony_RH_HCFA.ashx
The oral testimony can be found here: http://www.bsa.org/~/media/Files/Policy/Testimony/Testimony_RH_HCFA_oral.ashx
The Business Software Alliance is the world’s foremost advocate for the software industry, working in 80 countries to expand software markets and create conditions for innovation and growth.
