Consumer Electronics Association head Gary Shapiro is kicking off a “grassroots” movement to assure that the American tradition of innovation lives on into the future. Though a major Washington trade association can hardly be thought of as a “grass root,” it is hoping to create such a movement by creating “The Declaration of Innovation.” Broadcasters, of course, have a rich history of innovation, and no doubt would readily sign the document, as long as they are among the innovators being protected.
CEA is timing its campaign to coincide with the rapid approach of Independence Day. Here is the Declaration in its entirety:
The Declaration of Innovation
We, the people of the United States of America, hold these truths to be self-evident – that great innovators drive America’s unsurpassed economic success; that innovation creates jobs, markets and industries where none existed before; and that innovation moves us forward as a nation, pushing us to succeed and strive for a better tomorrow.
Staying true to our legacy and our obligation to the life, liberty and happiness of future Americans, we hereby declare that innovation is and should be a key national priority and strategy for this nation.
We urge policies that promote innovation:
* We believe American innovators should be able to buy and sell their products around the world.
* We believe that more spectrum must be available for wireless broadband.
* We believe in welcoming the best and brightest minds to the United States.
* We believe in cutting the federal deficit.
Americans create valuable inventions, content and ideas. To continue this storied tradition – and solidify prospects for future generations – we must return innovation to its rightful place at the center of America’s economic policy.
Today, I pledge my commitment to innovation and my support for the policies that ensure innovation remains the strategic advantage of the United States of America.
RBR-TVBR observation: The thing about innovation is that it takes as many forms as the human mind can create – so why is it that the only model the telecom and consumer electronics sectors seem to be able to think of involve trying to wrestle spectrum away from television stations? Washington should be making TV and its one-to-many distribution model part of the solution, rather than something that is steamrolled in favor of mobile’s inefficient one-to-one model.
As far as this particular campaign goes, we wish CEA luck. The big trades may be well-known inside the Beltway, but the average citizen is barely aware that they exist. Getting somebody to click on a statement is of questionable value in the first place, and trying to get clicks from a public to which you are largely anonymous isn’t likely to yield any amazing results.
It gets an I for Innovation.
Interested in signing just click here The Declaration of Innovation
