Brookings: Topics - Information Technology

Privacy and Security in the Cloud Computing Age

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:00:00 -0400

Event Information

October 26, 2010
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM EDT

Falk Auditorium
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC

Although research suggests that considerable efficiencies can be gained from cloud computing technology, concerns over privacy and security continue to deter government and private-sector firms from migrating to the cloud. By its very nature, storing information or accessing services through remote providers would seem to raise the level of privacy and security risks. But is such apprehension warranted? What are the real security threats posed to individuals, business and government by cloud computing technologies? Do the cost-saving benefits outweigh the dangers?

On October 26, the Brookings Institution hosted a policy forum on the privacy and security challenges raised by cloud computing. Governance Studies Director Darrell West moderated a panel of technology industry experts examining how cloud computing systems can generate innovation and cost savings without sacrificing privacy and security. West will also present findings from his forthcoming paper “Privacy, Security, and Innovation in Cloud Computing.”

After the program, panelists took audience questions.

Transcript

Uncorrected Transcript (.pdf)

Event Materials

20101026_cloud_computing

Participants

Moderator

Panelists

Greg Nojeim

Senior Counsel
Center for Democracy and Technology

Marjory S. Blumenthal

Associate Provost, Academic
Georgetown University

Allan Friedman

Fellow, Governance Studies, Brookings
Research Director, Center for Technology Innovation, Brookings

Irfan I. Saif

Principal
Deloitte & Touche LLP

Harry Wingo

Senior Policy Counsel, Google

Moving to the Cloud: How the Public Sector Can Leverage the Power of Cloud Computing

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:00:00 -0400

Event Information

July 21, 2010
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT

Falk Auditorium
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC

The U.S. government spends billions of dollars each year on computer hardware, software and file servers that may no longer be necessary. Currently, the public sector makes relatively little use of cloud computing, even though studies suggest substantial government savings from a migration to more Internet-based computing with shared resources.

On July 21, the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings hosted a policy forum on steps to enhance public sector adoption of cloud computing innovations. Brookings Vice President Darrell West moderated a panel of experts, including David McClure of the General Services Administration, Dawn Leaf of the National Institute for Standards and Technology, and Katie Ratte of the Federal Trade Commission. West released a paper detailing the policy changes required to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of federal computing.

Audio

Moving to the Cloud: How the Public Sector Can Leverage the Power of Cloud Computing

Transcript

Event Materials

Participants

Panelists

David McClure

Associate Administrator of the Office of Citizen Services and Communications, General Services Administration

Dawn Leaf

Senior Executive for Cloud Computing, National Institute for Standards and Technology

Katie Ratte

Attorney, Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, Federal Trade Commission

Making “Enhanced Use” of Health Information

Fri, 14 May 2010 09:00:00 -0400

Event Information

May 14, 2010
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM EDT

Falk Auditorium
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC

Recently passed health care reform legislation, together with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, provides an unprecedented opportunity to transform our current care delivery system into a high-value health care system. Making more effective—or “enhanced”—use of the health information routinely collected in the delivery of patient care can improve both individual patient care and overall population health through better quality reporting and performance measurement, public health surveillance, and evidence development.

Watch the archived webcast »

On May 14, the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at Brookings hosted a forum to identify practical solutions for advancing enhanced use of electronic health information on a national scale and examine best practices of organizations already engaged in such effective use. Experts and key stakeholders discussed concrete steps for further supporting enhanced use on a broader scale in light of recent legislation.

Transcript

Event Materials

Participants

Panelists

Farzad Mostashari

Senior Advisor for Policy and Programs, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Respondent: John Halamka

Chief Information Officer, Harvard Medical School;
Chief Information Officer, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Cente

Respondent: Amanda Parsons

Assistant Commissioner, Primary Care Information Project
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

James Walker

Chief Health Information Officer, Geisinger Health System

Robert Steffel

President and Chief Executive Officer, HealthBridge

David Patterson

State Health Information Technology Coordinator, South Carolina Health Information Exchange;
Chief, Office of Research & Statistics, South Carolina Budget and Control Board

John Steiner

Senior Director, Institute for Health Research,
Kaiser Permanente; HMO Research Network

Mike Raymer

General Manager, Microsoft Health Solutions Group
Enterprise Product Management

Andrew McLaughlin

Deputy Chief Technology Officer, Executive Office of the President, Office of Science & Technology Policy

Carol Diamond

Managing Director, Health Program
Markle Foundation

Landen Bain

Director, Clinical Data Interchange Standards
Consortium Healthlink Program

Andrew Webber

President and Chief Executive Officer
National Business Coalition on Health

Cloud Computing for Business and Society

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:00:00 -0500

Event Information

January 20, 2010
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM EST

Falk Auditorium
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC

Cloud computing – defined as computing delivered as a service over the Internet – has the potential to offer governments, enterprises and individuals greater choice and flexibility while spurring significant efficiency gains, lower IT costs, as well as creating incentives and online platforms for innovation.

On January 20, the Brookings Institution hosted a policy forum that seeks to promote better understanding of this exciting new technology trend. Moderated by Brookings Vice President Darrell West, a panel of experts will examine policy issues that need to be addressed to achieve the benefits of cloud computing, including security, privacy and data management.

Microsoft Corp.’s Brad Smith delivered a keynote address on the role of the government and private sector in developing and promoting cloud computing.

After the program, panelists took audience questions.

Participants

Moderator

Panelists

Brad Smith

Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Microsoft Corporation

Robert D. Atkinson, Ph.D.

President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

Michael Nelson

Visiting Professor, Georgetown University
Chairman of the Technology Section, American Association for the Advancement of Science

Jonathan Rochelle

Group Product Manager, Google

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski on Improving Broadband and Mobile Communications

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:00:00 -0400

Event Information

September 21, 2009
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT

Falk Auditorium
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC

Recognizing the need to expand the U.S. broadband network to ensure America’s infrastructure and economic development, Congress tasked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with developing a national broadband plan by February 17, 2010. On September 21, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski delivered remarks on the national broadband plan and other communications issues.

Darrell West, Brookings vice president and director of Governance Studies discussed his new study on what consumers in four countries, including the United States, want from mobile communications. Other panelists participated in a discussion about broadband and mobile communications and offer ideas for improving access in the United States.

Video

Audio

Improving Broadband and Mobile Communications

Transcript

Uncorrected Full Transcript (.pdf)

Event Materials

Participants

Moderator

Cecilia Kang

Reporter
The Washington Post

Panelists

Julius Genachowski

Chairman
Federal Communications Commission

Ben Scott

Policy Director
Free Press

Josh Silverman

CEO
Skype Technologies S.A.

David E. Young

Vice President, Federal Regulatory Affairs
Verizon Communications

Innovation in Government: How to Make the Public Sector Faster, Smarter and More Connected

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:00:00 -0400

Event Information

June 17, 2009
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM EDT

Falk Auditorium
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC

The Obama administration recently launched a long-awaited Open Government Initiative, which invites citizens to submit ideas via the Internet for creating a more transparent, collaborative and participatory government. Few developments have had broader consequences for the public sector than the introduction of the Internet and digital technology. When used in the public sector, technology has the potential to make democracy stronger and enable governments to meet citizens’ needs more simply, quickly and efficiently.

On June 17, Brookings hosted an event on how new technology can make the public sector perform faster and smarter. Brookings Vice President and Director of Governance Studies Darrell West released a new study, Comparing Technology Innovation in the Private and Public Sectors. West was joined by Beth Simone Noveck, New York University Law Professor, deputy chief technology officer of the White House Office of Open Government and author of Wiki Government (Brookings Institution Press, 2009), and Carmen Sirianni, author of Investing in Democracy: Engaging Citizens in Collaborative Governance (Brookings Institution Press, 2009).

After the program, panelists took audience questions.

Video

Transcript

Uncorrected Transcript (.pdf)

Event Materials

Participants

Panelists

Beth Simone Noveck

Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Open Government, Executive Office of the President
Professor of Law, New York University Law School

Carmen Sirianni

Professor of Sociology and Public Policy, Brandeis University

The Scouting Report: Technology Innovation for Open Government

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:30:00 -0400

Event Information

June 17, 2009
12:30 PM - 1:30 AM EDT

Online Only
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC

President Obama is asking for ideas on how the government can use the Internet and new technologies to provide better, faster, more transparent and accountable service to its people.

On Wednesday, June 17, Darrell West—vice president and director of Governance Studies at Brookings—joined Politico Senior Editor David Mark in a live web chat assessing the president’s Open Government Initiative, and discussing a forthcoming Brookings report comparing public and private sector innovation.

Read the chat transcript »

Transcript

Transcript (.pdf)

Event Materials

0617_chat_transcript

Participants

Moderator

David Mark

Senior Editor
Politico

Panelists

Health 2.0: Adopting Health Information Technology in the United States

Mon, 04 May 2009 12:00:00 -0400

Event Information

May 4, 2009
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM EDT

Falk Auditorium
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC

With more than $19 billion planned in new federal expenditures on health information technology, the Obama administration is taking serious steps towards modernizing the U.S. health care system to reduce health care costs and medical errors. Yet, implementing health IT requires fast data networks, interoperable software systems, and devices to enter and track patient data. Moreover, few hospitals, clinics and private practices have the funds to pay for new technology.

On May 4, the Brookings Institution hosted a panel discussion on what needs to get done to bring the benefits of information technology to health care. Darrell West, Brookings Vice President and Director of Governance Studies and co-author of Digital Medicine: Health Care in the Internet Era (Brookings Institution Press, 2009), moderated the discussion with Nancy Johnson, co-chair of Health IT Now!; Dr. Charles Friedman, Deputy National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in the Office of the Secretary for Health and Human Services; and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

Audio

Health 2.0: Adopting Health Information Technology in the United States

Transcript

Transcript (.pdf)

Event Materials

20090504_health

Participants

Moderator

Panelists

The Honorable Nancy Johnson

Co-Chair, Health IT Now! Coalition
Former US Representative (R-CT)

Dr. Charles P. Friedman

Deputy National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The Honorable Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

United States Senate

New Paradigms in Energy Research

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:00:00 -0500

Event Information

February 9, 2009
1:00 PM - 3:30 PM EST

National Press Club
529 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20045

With new national leadership committed to investing in clean energy technology,the time is right to consider new paradigms for U.S. energy research. In view of that, a new Blueprint for American Prosperity report, “Energy Discovery-Innovation Institutes: A Step toward America's Energy Sustainability,” argues that America’s capacity for groundbreaking energy research, development and commercialization can be enhanced through the creation of a network of energy-oriented “discovery-innovation institutes” (e-DIIs)—highly networked, multidisciplinary, applications-oriented research centers designed to complement the nation’s federal laboratories and corporate R&D centers with a radically different model for converting breakthrough inventions into market-ready technology.

On February 9, the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings hosted an event to present the new proposal. After opening remarks by Amy Liu, deputy director of the Metropolitan Policy Program, Senator Sherrod Brown gave an address. The report’s lead author James Duderstadt, president emeritus of the University of Michigan, presented the e-DII concept. Michael M. Crow, president of Arizona State University, and E. Gordon Gee, president of The Ohio State University, provided additional comments. Prominent voices in industry, education, the environmental community and government commented on the role the institutes can play in reinvigorating America’s economy, tackling security challenges and responding to global climate change.

After the presentation, panelists took audience questions.

Read the report »

Download James Duderstadt's presentation » (PDF)

Read the full transcript » (PDF)

Video

Transcript

Transcript (.pdf)

Event Materials

Participants

Moderator

Panelists

Keith W. Cooley

CEO, NextEnergy

The Honorable Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

United States Senate

James Duderstadt

President Emeritus, University of Michigan

E. Gordon Gee

President, The Ohio State University

Michael M. Crow

President, Arizona State University

William Bates (Moderator)

Vice President for Government Affairs, Council on Competitiveness

Michael Shellenberger

President, Breakthrough Institute

John Denniston

Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

Howard Berke

Executive Chairman and Co-founder, Konarka Technologies, Inc.

Billy M. Glover

Managing Director—Environmental Strategy, Boeing Commercial Airplanes

William Harris

President and CEO, Science Foundation Arizona

M. Peter McPherson

President, National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges

Jeffrey Wadsworth

President and CEO, Battelle Memorial Institute

The Limits of Abstract Patents in an Intangible Economy

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:00:00 -0500

Event Information

January 14, 2009
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST

Falk Auditorium
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC

Abstract ideas are not patentable, but what are abstract ideas – and how can judges draw a line around them? Ten years ago, the Federal Circuit’s State Street Bank decision appeared to make any kind of business process or software patentable. In October, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit decided in the Bilski ruling that a process must involve a physical transformation or be tied to a specific machine to be patentable. The Bilski decision appears to put an end to pure business method patents. It is likely to call into question a number of patents that claim software but do not tie the software to a machine or physical transformation.

Meanwhile, the issue has been resurrected in Europe and India. Three years after the European Parliament rejected a proposed directive after extraordinarily contentious debate, the European Patent Office (EPO) President has asked an appeals panel to determine where and how the line should be drawn on computer programs. The United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office has announced an economic study of software patents to provide input to the EPO. There is vigorous debate in India centered on patent office interpretation of recent legislation.

This conference, co-sponsored by the Brookings Institution, the Computer & Communications Industry Association and Duke University School of Law, looked at the problem of abstract patents from both economic and legal perspectives. How well do abstract patents work? What problems do they create? Can we do better than the standard in Bilski?

Panels:

Introduction and Welcome: Martin Baily (Brookings Institution)

Economic Perspectives
Patents on abstract subject matter – business methods, software, diagnostic information – remain far more controversial than patents in more traditional areas of technology. Since the goal of the patent system is promote innovation and economic development, is this persistent unease susceptible to economic analysis? Recent research suggests that “fuzzy boundaries” limit the ability of abstract patents to serve effectively as property rights and that this is associated with lower benefits and higher costs. Other distinguishing factors may include R&D costs, technological risk, alternative means of appropriation, information costs, cumulative nature of innovation, and network effects – although these may vary according to the abstract nature of the subject matter. What are the economics implications of requiring a physical transformation or a limitation to a particular machine under the Bilski standard? What are the costs and benefits of drawing the line in other ways – including the cost of enforcing the line against gaming? Is this line-drawing problem inherently less tractable than other line-drawing problems?

Arti Rai (Duke University), chair
Peter Menell (University of California, Berkeley)
Read background paper »
Robert Hunt (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia)
Read background paper »
Ben Klemens (Brookings Institution)
Read background paper »
Iain Cockburn (Boston University)
Entry, Exit, and Patenting in the Software Industry »
Patents, Thickets and the Financing of Early-Stage Firms: Evidence from the Software Industry »
Patents and the Survival of Internet-related IPOs »
James Bessen (Boston University)
Read book chapter ; View Presentation Slides

Legal Perspectives
While the US Congress has never debated the limits of patent eligibility, Europe recently spent several years embroiled in debate before abandoning a proposed directive on the subject. The U.S. Supreme Court has not decided a case on subject matter eligibility for nearly 30 years, and after agreeing to hear Labcorp v Metabolite three years ago, it made the unusual decision of deciding not to decide. However, lower courts must draw lines in cases before them. Some observers have suggested that the challenge of circumscribing patent-eligible subject matter is so difficult and susceptible to gaming that the effort should be abandoned. But would that merely move the problem to another level and/or place additional burdens on other criteria that have been difficult to apply to abstract subject matter? Is a fuzzy line against abstraction simply another aspect of indeterminacy in the patent system? By abjuring categories and focusing on physical transformation and particularity, the Bilski decision seems to tackle the problem head-on while resurrecting familiar language from Supreme Court precedent? Can this approach succeed? Is there a better alternative?

Brian Kahin (CCIA and University of Michigan), chair
Read amicus brief »
David Kappos (IBM)
Read background paper »
Rochelle Dreyfuss (New York University)
Robert Armitage (Eli Lilly)
Read amicus brief I ; Read amicus brief II ; View presentation slides
John Duffy (George Washington University)
Read amicus brief »
Josh Sarnoff (American University)
Read amicus brief ; Read discussion draft

Independent Invention and Inadvertent Infringement
Patent infringement is based on strict liability, and the fact that an infringer came up with the same invention independently is no defense. Yet recent research suggests that patent infringement cases rarely involve actual copying, especially in fields associated with abstract subject matter. At the same time, the apparent frequency of inadvertent infringement is a driving force behind patent reform, limitations on patentable subject matter, and/or raising the basic standard of invention (nonobviousness). Independent creation is a defense in copyright, which may help explain the broader consensus behind copyright for software. What are the benefits and costs of different solutions to the inadvertent infringement problem in patents?

Clifford Winston (Brookings Institution), chair
Suzanne Scotchmer (University of California, Berkeley)
Read background paper »
Christopher Cotropia (University of Richmond)
Read background paper »
Samson Vermont (George Mason University)
Read background paper »
Emery Simon (Business Software Alliance)

Roundtable

Ben Klemens (Brookings Institution), chair
John Squires (Goldman Sachs)
Tim Lee (Princeton University and Cato Institute)
Joe Matal (Office of Senator Kyl)
Jamie Love (Knowledge Ecology International)
Wayne Sobon (Accenture)
Read amicus brief »
Rob Tiller (Red Hat)
Read amicus brief »
Konstantinos Karachalios (European Patent Office)
Statement ; Scenarios for the future project
Ray Chen (USPTO)


Martin Baily giving introductory remarks.		Ben Klemens speaking on economic perspectives.

Transcript

Transcript (.pdf)

Event Materials

0114_patents_transcript

Participants

Panelists

Duke University

Boston University

Boston University

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia

Peter Menell

University of California, Berkeley

CCIA

Eli Lilly

NYU

George Washington University

David Kappos

IBM

Josh Sarnoff

American University

Chris Cotropia

University of Richmond

Suzanne Scotchmer

University of California

Emery Simon

Business Software Alliance

Samson Vermont

George Mason University

Mallun Yen

Cisco

Ray Chen

United States Patent and Trademark Office

Konstantinos Karachalios

European Patent Office

Tim Lee

Princeton University and Cato Institute

Jamie Love

Knowledge Ecology International

Erika Mann

European Parliament

Joe Matal

Office of Senator Kyl

Wayne Sobon

Accenture

John Squires

Goldman Sachs

Rob Tiller

Red Hat

Advancing the Adoption of Health Information Technology to Improve Quality and Value in Health Care

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:00:00 -0500

Event Information

November 24, 2008
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST

Saul/Zilkha Room
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

Increasing the adoption of health information technology (IT) has the potential to not only improve quality of care, but also change the way health care is delivered. What's more, the use of value cases could drive practical, relevant use of health IT on a faster track, ultimately helping improve the quality of health care. On Nov. 24, Mark McClellan, Carolyn Clancy and other distinguished experts addressed current opportunities to accelerate the adoption and integration of health IT, with an emphasis on how it can lead to higher quality care at lower costs.

The first panel explored how successful health IT adoption within geographic regions is allowing for the measurement of key outcomes. The many opportunities for enhancing current claims-based measurement approaches with clinical data was the focus of the second panel. And the final discussion focused on previously identified examples and suggested pathways for greater adoption of health information technology, as well as recommendations for advancing health IT adoption through value cases.

Read the full issue brief »
View presentation slides »

Event Audio:

Download the event welcome and introduction » (mp3)
Download the update from Carolyn Clancy » (mp3)
Download panel one » (mp3)
Download panel two » (mp3)
Download panel three » (mp3)
Download the concluding remarks » (mp3)

Participants

Panelists

Carolyn Clancy

Director, Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality

Micki Tripathi

Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative

Marc Overhage

Indiana Health Information Exchange

Lori Evans

New York Department of Health

Carol Diamond

Markle Foundation

Jack Lewin

American College of Cardiology

Lee Newcomer

UnitedHealthCare

Paul Tang

Palo Alto Medical Group

Kevin Hutchinson

Prematics

John Glaser

Partners Healthcare

Steven Findlay

Consumer’s Union

America’s Innovation Challenge: Innovation Policy and Regional Industry Clusters

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:00:00 -0400

Event Information

April 22, 2008
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM EDT

National Press Club
529 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20045

The Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program held a briefing at The National Press Club in Washington DC on Tuesday April 22, 2008 highlighting America’s slipping leadership in commercial innovation and two bold responses to it. The session previewed two major new reports on federal economic policy: “Boosting Productivity, Innovation, and Growth Through a National Innovation Foundation,” by ITIF President Robert Atkinson and Howard Wial, a Brookings economist; and “Clusters for Competitiveness: A New Federal Role for Stimulating Regional Economies,” by venture capitalist Karen Mills; Liz Reynolds, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology doctoral student; and Andrew Reamer, a fellow at Brookings.

The reports calls on the federal government to establish a National Innovation Foundation (NIF)—a nimble, lean, and collaborative entity devoted to supporting firms and other organizations in their innovative activities. Moreover, the federal government should establish an industry clusters program that supports organizations in regional economies to produce more commercial innovation and higher wage employment.

This briefing was an activity of the Blueprint for American Prosperity, a multi-year initiative to promote an economic agenda for the nation that builds on the assets and centrality of America's metropolitan areas.

Event Materials

Participants

Panelists

Deborah Wince-Smith

President, Council on Competitiveness

Howard Wial

Economist, Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings

Karen Mills

President, MMP Group

Randall Kempner

Vice President, Regional Innovation,
Coucil on Competitiveness

Emily DeRocco

President, National Center for the American Workforce
National Association of Manufacturers

Ron Blackwell

Chief Economist, AFL-CIO

Ernest Dianastasis

Managing Director, CAI, Inc

Ray Scheppach

Excutive Director, National Governors Association

Internet Development in China: Its Impact on Politics and Society

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 10:00:00 -0500

Event Information

December 4, 2007
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST

Saul/Zilkha Room
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

Nowhere does the transformative power of the Internet present greater challenges or promise to governance than in China, the world’s most populous country. With over 172 million Internet users, China is undergoing an information revolution on a scale and speed unprecedented in human history. Such fundamental changes raise a number of questions about how the Internet is reshaping Chinese society. Who is benefiting from greater access to ideas and information? How is the Chinese government adapting and responding to the growing prevalence of the Internet? And what are the broader implications for civil society in China?

On December 4, the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings hosted a discussion on the development of the Internet in China and its impact on politics and society. A distinguished panel of experts addressed trends in Internet usage, government policy, civil society development and the implications for good governance in China. Panelists included Dr. Randolph Kluver, director of the Institute for Pacific Asia and a research professor in the Department of Communication at Texas A&M University; Guo Liang, deputy director of the Center for Social Development at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS); and Dr. Guobin Yang, associate professor, Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures, Barnard College. Cheng Li, senior fellow, John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings, moderated the discussion.

Transcript

Transcript (.pdf)

Event Materials

20071204china

Participants

Moderator

Panelists

Dr. Randolph Kluver

Director, Institute for Pacific Asia; Research Professor, Texas A&M University

Guo Liang

Deputy Director, Center for Social Development, CASS

Dr. Guobin Yang

Associate Professor, Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures, Barnard College

The Wired and Inspired City

Wed, 14 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Event Information

December 14, 2005
12:00 AM - 2:00 PM EST

Root Room
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC

Brookings welcomes Mayor Graham Richard, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, over lunch on Wednesday, December 14th. Mayor Richard is widely recognized as one of the most innovative and technologically savvy municipal leaders in the country today. He will share his vision of a "wired and inspired" city, describe the cutting edge initiatives he has pioneered and discuss the implications of his work for such national challenges as job creation, workforce development, homeland security, emergency preparedness and bridging the digital divide.

Fort Wayne is Indiana's second largest city with a population of 250,000 and the hub of Northeast Indiana's regional economy. In accordance with Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat, the city is using innovation to become globally competitive. Fort Wayne is the first city in the Midwest to have fiber optic broadband services for nearly 100,000 households, small businesses and schools. It is also the first city to use high performance business partnerships with Lean Six Sigma to improve city services and save taxpayers millions of dollars. A number of Fort Wayne initiatives—the Regional Public Safety and Homeland Security Training Academy, the Emergency Disaster Response Communication System, the leveraging of federal programs like Community Development Block Grant and the Earned Income Tax Credit—are national models that deserve attention and replication.

The Mayor of Fort Wayne since 2000, Mayor Richard has been a speaker at events including the Lean Six Sigma Summit West. He also was awarded the 2005 Star Award from the Fiber-to-the-Home Council for his visionary leadership in broadband technology. Government Technology magazine and the Center for Digital Government selected Mayor Richard as one of the top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers in the nation who have made significant contributions to the digital government movement. Mayor Richard is a former State Senator and a business owner. He is a graduate of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

Software and Law: Is Regulation Fostering or Inhibiting Innovation?

Wed, 07 Dec 2005 15:00:00 -0500

Event Information

December 7, 2005
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM EST

Falk Auditorium
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC

In the last few decades, computers have gone from a relative novelty to an essential element of virtually every aspect of business and government operations. In a new book, Math you Can't Use: Patents, Copyright, and Software (Brookings 2005), author Ben Klemens discusses the theoretical structures and practical issues underlying patent and copyright law, the software business as it is practiced today, and software itself. Experts in the software field will join Dr. Klemens at a panel discussion to analyze whether the issues in applying patent law to software can be readily resolved, how the Patent Reform Act of 2005 can help or hinder the industry, and future prospects for software law in the European Union, India, and China and other fast-developing countries.

To date, patent law has been applied to software with virtually no modification. Few, if any, computer scientists and businessmen and women in the computing field are satisfied with how it has been transferred to software. Even copyright as applied to software has its pitfalls. Some recommend minor fixes to the existing regimes, and some recommend wholesale reform.

Panelists will take audience questions following their remarks.

Event Materials

Participants

Panelists

Brian Kahin

Senior Fellow, Computer & Communications Industry Association

Daniel B. Ravicher

President, Executive Director Public Patent Foundation

Emery Simon

Counselor, Policy Council of the Business Software Alliance

China's Expanding Use of the Internet and Its Impact on Chinese Society

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 10:00:00 -0500

Event Information

November 17, 2005
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM EST

Stein Room, 2d Floor
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC

China is now second only to the U.S. in the number of people online, with over 103 million Internet users. China's rapidly expanding online market has become a powerful magnet, attracting both foreign investment and a steady stream of IT professionals from all over the world. Chinese use of the Internet is also of great interest to policy-makers and scholars who monitor and examine the impact of change in mass communication and media, especially in the context of China's specific cultural and political traditions.

This Brookings Institution policy briefing, held in conjunction with the Markle Foundation, will feature Professor Guo Liang of Beijing's Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, who will share the most recent results from his in-depth, multi-year study of Internet use in China and its impact on Chinese society. During his presentation, Professor Guo will report on recent findings about Internet use in China, including: new data about who in China is online; why they go online; which kinds of content they seek; and which online information they trust. Professor Guo will also report on changing Chinese attitudes towards controlling Internet content, the relationship of Internet use to other media, the use of the Internet by government, and the prospects for Internet use in China in the near and long term.

A philosopher by training, Professor Guo is one the preeminent observers of the Internet in China and author of several books on its history and impact. He drew particular attention for escorting former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to Beijing's Internet cafes during her trip to China in 2000. Professor Guo's ongoing study of Internet use in China is supported by the Markle Foundation, a philanthropy based in New York, which focuses on information technology. For more information, visit www.markle.org. A question and answer session will follow remarks.

Participants

Panelists

Guo Liang

Professor and Vice Director, Center for Studies in Social Development, Beijing's Chinese Academy of Social Science

Stefaan Verhulst

Director of Research, The Markle Foundation

The Impact of the New Media: A Live, Inter@ctive Discussion & Webcast

Tue, 22 Mar 2005 10:00:00 -0500

Event Information

March 22, 2005
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT

Falk Auditorium
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC

One of America's most prominent news anchors is dethroned by cyber-journalists who point to flaws in a news story. A White House reporter is revealed to be not a reporter at all. Newspaper readership and television audiences are on the decline while the popularity of blogs and online news sources has steadily increased. The landscape of the American media is indisputably changing.

At this Brookings briefing, members of the "new" and "old" media weighed in on the ever-evolving role of the press and the future of journalism. The discussion focused on new mediums and practices in journalism and what impact these have had—and will continue to have—on the role and credibility of the traditional American media. In keeping with the spirit of this event, the discussion was webcast and was "live-blogged" by several prominent bloggers. Panelists took questions from the audience and via e-mail following their remarks.

Transcript

Transcript (.pdf)

Event Materials

20050322

Participants

Moderator

E.J. Dionne, Jr.

Senior Fellow, Brookings; Columnist, Washington Post Writers Group

Panelists

Ana Marie Cox

Wonkette.com

Andrew Sullivan

AndrewSullivan.com; Senior Editor The New Republic, Columnist, Time Magazine

Live Bloggers
The following individuals watched the event, either in person or via the webcast, and provided online commentary in real-time on their respective blogs. Their commentary was also shown on a projector screen at the event and on the webcast.

Juan Cole
Informed Comment

Daniel Drezner
DanielDrezner.com

Ed Morrissey
Captain's Quarters

Laura Rozen
War and Piece

Ruy Teixeira
Donkey Rising

Ellen Ratner

White House Correspondent, Talk Radio News Service

Jack Shafer

Editor-at-Large, Slate

Jodie T. Allen

Senior Editor, Pew Research Center

Balancing Civil Liberties and National Security in the Post-9/11 Era: The Challenge of Information Sharing

Thu, 05 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Event Information

Falk Auditorium
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC

Sponsored by The Brookings Institution - Information Technology Services group, Ascential Software, and the Computer Ethics Institute, this meeting brought together 35 technologists, government officials, legislators, and public policy scholars. The discussion focused on the following three questions:

How can information technologies assist in maintaining a secure homeland?
What issues - legal, cultural, ethical ad organization - may arise from the implementation of these IT solutions?
What operational framework should policy makers use to maximize the benefits and minimize the harm of implementing these information technology solutions in the post-9/11 environment?

One participant opened the meeting by explaining that, unlike other gatherings on this topic in which people talked past each other, the goal for today was dialog that could lead to better understanding of the issues, awareness of obstacles and identification of potential next steps.

Another participant noted that the group was not engaged in a zero-sum game, because the nation can't have civil liberties without security and can't have security without civil liberties. Another important observation was that while technology can be seen as a threat to civil liberties, it can also be harnessed to protect them. The questions that the group needed to investigate were

What information do we need to have? How does it differ from what we needed in the past?
How do we get the required information?
What restrictions can be placed on the information?
Who should decide on those restrictions?
How can we harness technology for good purposes?

The information we need today is different from that needed in the past because with terrorism, it is difficult to know who constitutes a threat, where the threat might appear, and what the targets might be. Additionally, much of the required information is in the private sector, not the government.

Another speaker noted that during the Cold War, there were no rules about privacy; the definition of the enemy - and therefore the lengths to which the government could go - kept expanding. It wasn't until Watergate that accountability and judicial oversight became important concepts. Nonetheless, many agencies continue to use data without guidelines or oversight. The Patriot Act, which was rushed through Congress, has resulted in fewer restraints on data use in the government than exist in the private sector.

Trust was identified as important as the concrete things that technology can do. Trust must be developed or technological solutions will not be practical. Additionally, trust must be considered in the post 9/11 context, which is different from the previous context. Finally, trust needs to be built outside conventional political biases or territoriality.

However, as one participant noted, "Trust but verify," a slogan of the Cold War intelligence community, is difficult today because of the inability to verify how data is being used. The government doesn't act as a single unit, and some agencies don't trust what other agencies will do with their data. People hoard the "good stuff" because it is a source of power. Moreover, we need to go beyond technologies that find things above the radar but not under the radar. Also, technology and policy people must work together from the start to ensure the ability to audit and control. Massive integrations of data bases often strip metadata that enables verification. The challenge is to pay attention to people, their sensitivities, and their culture so that the structure persists after the emergency is over. But to build a trustworthy structure takes leadership, a framework, and application of the framework to ensure the quality of the data.

During discussion of the future, one speaker noted that OMB is promoting shared services and architectures, as well as the inclusion of state and local participation in open network systems. In addition, CIOs at the federal level are being made responsible for data linkage and usage through the Paperwork Reduction Act and the Data Quality Act. Another speaker discussed why eventually the news media should be involved in this situation because press coverage can influence public opinion and put a spotlight on the issue. Educating the press is important; otherwise, people with agendas will use the media to promote their cases.

Discussion of future steps saw a variety of responses:

Define specific goals; avoid generalities.
Look at alternative frameworks, particularly those that do not pit the government against the people or the world.
Carefully define what we need to know, what good intelligence is.
Take privacy seriously and work toward consensus.
Find out what systems currently exist that deal with the issues previously discussed.
Determine accountability.
Bring together groups to work on problems, not just federal government people.
Frame the questions/issues involved.
Include private sector, local/state.
Don't depend on the judiciary to balance civil liberties and security; security always wins out.
Determine current and future expectations of privacy.
Focus more specifically rather than trying to cover everything.
Get more tactical than philosophical.
Depolarize the issue.
Consider opportunities to experiment/explore before a crisis; do the difficult research.
Understand the psychology of human behavior, especially in an environment in which information is power.
Continue this group as an ongoing forum.
Determine strategies for dealing with many overseers (rather than a single CEO) in the federal government.
Have small groups evaluate case studies.
Provide education.
Establish a research agenda