Former BSA VP Confirmed as Tech Undersecretary

RedOregon writes "The Senate has confirmed Robert Cresanti as the Commerce Department's new undersecretary for technology. Who's that, you ask? He was the former vice president of public policy at the Business Software Alliance. Does this give anyone else the Heebie Jeebies??"

It's consistent

[ktappe]

This administration is all about foxes guarding the henhouse. Considering that ex-oil executives are energy czars and ex-forestry industry personnel are in charge of monitoring the environment, this latest move really shouldn't come as a surprise.

-Kurt

Copyright Lobbyists now part of the US Govt?

[digitaldc]

From a ZDNet Aug.1, 2005 Declan McCullagh article titled , Copyright lobbyists strike again [zdnet.com]
The Central American nations participating in CAFTA must also:
- Permit software patents
- Extend copyright protection to "70 years after the author's death"
- Ban the "manufacture" or "export" of any hardware or software that could decode encrypted satellite TV signals
- Offer "online public access to a reliable and accurate" WhoIs database of domain name registration details

It's true that these may be ideas beloved by the Bush administration and business lobbyists, but they have far more to do with special-interest lobbying than traditional notions of free trade.

In reality, they're simply the latest in a string of victories that copyright lobbyists have managed to accumulate in the last decade--under both Democratic and Republican presidents--through adept work at influencing the arcane process of treaty drafting.

Negotiating below the radar "We push for that in trade agreements and treaties and bilateral" agreements, Robert Cresanti, vice president for public policy at the Business Software Alliance, told me last week. Members of his group include Adobe Systems, Cisco Systems, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel and Microsoft.

He a freakin lawyer?

[joschm0]

In addition to his role at the BSA, Cresanti is a former senior vice president and general counsel for the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), as well as a former staff director of the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem, FCW reports.

Re:Business as Usual

[Puhase]

Had to look twice at that second reference. Gator!? The guys who practically invented mainstream data-mining? I've seen some of the inside of Homeland Security and I was depressed at its prospects. But between this and the fact that they regularly hire sexual predators to defend us,

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/000294.php [tpmmuckraker.com]

this is getting to ALMOST be so scary its funny.

Re:Jeez, don't scare me like that!

[Anonymous Coward]

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

I don't see how you can make that connection.

Re:It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling

[truthsearch]

They may have underachieved, but they've had a significant influence. They've had offices raided by armed marshals and who knows how many disgruntled employees report their employers. They've put millions of dollars into advertising campaigns. The BSA [msversus.org] has an office in Washington, D.C. I'm sure it's not just to be near the famous attractions. There's definitely a lot going on. You just don't hear much about it.

Duties of the Office and Suing Public Schools.

[twitter]

From TFA:

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Technical Information Service and the Office of Technology Policy all fall under the oversight of the Technology Administration

So there's one big no vote on making any free file formats or programs standard issue for government offices. That's a big deal.

People from the BSA have no place in government service in any case. The BSA is an organization that sued public schools systems for copying a text editor [salon.com]. People who do things like that should be shunned.

Ugh, he even looks like a bit character from the Sopranos [hillnews.com].

Re:It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling

[DSP_Geek]

You can goddamn betcha the BSA has had an influence. My startup will be a Microsoft-free zone - I can't afford to have my business disrupted by a bunch of extortionate asshats because someone might have slipped up with an Office CDROM, and why go through the hassle of switching when I can do it properly right from the git-go?

http://news.com.com/2008-1082_3-5065859.html [com.com]

So long, Redmond. You coulda had a bunch of seats, but I'm too busy to watch my back for the BSA, and frankly the security holes aren't helping much either. Seeya.

Re:It's consistent

[DSP_Geek]

After Rumsfeld fucking up Iraq, Chertoff screwing up FEMA, the entire Administration blowing up the budget, FCC administrators selling us down the river to Jeezemoids and junk faxers, and various PR mouthpieces stifling scientists, picking someone who knows the matter at hand would be a freaking first for this bunch.