This year’s Internet Governance Forum (IGF) USA, held here in Washington, D.C.  at George Washington University (GWU), is a truly multifaceted meeting, which will inform the global IGF meeting in December in Joao Pessoa, Brazil.   Take a look at the program.  There are no holy cows.  There is even one panel which asks the question: “Can the Internet Cause Too Much Disruption?”

SIIA is a sponsor of IGF USA and a participant in Internet governance debates through our membership of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers’ (ICANN) Business and Intellectual Property Constituencies.   Our members are deeply implicated in the Internet.  To take one example, many software companies nowadays sell their products and services through Internet subscription agreements – the days of buying software in boxes are fast becoming as old hat as buying music in bricks and mortar stores.

SIIA members participate actively in Internet debates because their business models rely on a stable, secure and open Internet.  For instance, today Oracle’s Vice President for Global Public Policy and Chief Privacy Strategist, Joe Alhadeff spoke at a panel discussion on: “Digital Trade Agreements as a Strategy for Internet Governance.”  As he noted, data-driven innovation holds much promise as a source of growth.   But for the full potential to be realized entrepreneurs in countries need to, for instance, start using the cloud – this is “the first stop on the highway” to a data-drive innovation economy.  To the extent national rules mandate use of local cloud providers, and hence make use potentially more expensive, the promise of data-driven innovation is diminished.

SIIA commends the organizers of IGF-USA, especially the Internet Society, for organizing this important and stimulating event!

Carl Schonander is Senior Vice President for Global Public Policy.