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{{People  

{{People

|country=USA

|websitename=wyden.senate.gov

|website=http://wyden.senate.gov/

|country   = USA

|facebook=http://www.facebook.com/wyden

|email      =

|twitter=RonWyden

|website   = [http://wyden.senate.gov/ wyden.senate.gov]

|caricature=CaricatureComing.jpg

|facebook   = [http://www.facebook.com/wyden Senator Ron Wyden]

|linkedin  =  

}}

}}

'''Ron Wyden''' is one of the United States Senior Senators representing constituents from the State of Oregon. Wyden has been a Senator since 1996. He is a member of the Senate Committees on Finace, Intelligence, Aging, Budget, and Energy & Natural Resources. He is the chairman of both the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests and the Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness. Sen. Wyden is a strong advocate for the privacy rights of Americans. As Senator, he has been pushing for health care reform, energy independence, national security, consumer welfare and accountability.<ref>[http://wyden.senate.gov/ron/ Meet Ron Wyden]</ref>

'''Ron Wyden''' is one of the United States Senior Senators representing constituents from the State of Oregon. Wyden has been a Senator since 1996. He is a member of the Senate Committees on Finace, Intelligence, Aging, Budget, and Energy & Natural Resources. He is the chairman of both the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests and the Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness. Sen. Wyden is a strong advocate for the privacy rights of Americans. As Senator, he has been pushing for health care reform, energy independence, national security, consumer welfare and accountability.<ref>[http://wyden.senate.gov/ron/ Meet Ron Wyden]</ref>

===OPEN Act: Alternative Bill to PIPA===

===OPEN Act: Alternative Bill to PIPA===

On December 17, 2011, Senator Wyden issued a press release informing the public that he had created a bipartisan coalition with Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washinton) to sponsor an alternative bill to protect intellectual property rights without harming current Internet architecture. The proposed legislation will be called Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act ([[OPEN]]). According to the Senators, OPEN will target websites that are "willfully" and "primarily" infringing on copyright materials. Violators will be subject to investigation through the International Trade Commission ([[ITC]]), and websites will only be shutdown once proven guilty. Senator Wyden said, “The OPEN act meets the same publicly-stated goals as [[SOPA]] or Protect IP without causing massive damage to the Internet. The OPEN act expands the ability of the ITC to investigate IP infringement -- providing a forum for due process without messing with the inner workings of the Internet. The same goals are met, without the collateral damage SOPA and Protect IP will leave in their wake.”<ref>[http://wyden.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=5034df19-5b8e-4d45-9f1f-f2c0dd8f17d4 Wyden, Moran, Cantwell Introduce IP Protection Bill that Will Not Break the Net]</ref>

On December 17, 2011, Senator Wyden issued a press release informing the public that he had created a bipartisan coalition with Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washinton) to sponsor an alternative bill to protect [[Intellectual Property|intellectual property]] rights without harming current Internet architecture. The proposed legislation will be called Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act (OPEN). According to the Senators, OPEN will target websites that are "willfully" and "primarily" infringing on copy-written materials. Violators will be subject to investigation through the [[ITC|International Trade Commission]] (ITC), and websites will only be shutdown once proven guilty. Senator Wyden said, “The OPEN act meets the same publicly-stated goals as [[SOPA]] or Protect IP without causing massive damage to the Internet. The OPEN act expands the ability of the ITC to investigate IP infringement -- providing a forum for due process without messing with the inner workings of the Internet. They believe that the same goals are met, without the collateral damage that SOPA and Protect IP will leave in their wake.”<ref>[http://wyden.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=5034df19-5b8e-4d45-9f1f-f2c0dd8f17d4 Wyden, Moran, Cantwell Introduce IP Protection Bill that Will Not Break the Net]</ref>

The Draft of the OPEN Act is available [http://www.keepthewebopen.com/assets/pdfs/OPEN.pdf here].

The Draft of the OPEN Act is available [http://www.keepthewebopen.com/assets/pdfs/OPEN.pdf here].

==Comment on ICANN Ethics Rules==

==Comment on ICANN Ethics Rules==

On September 14, 2011, Sen. Wyden wrote to [[NTIA]] Assistant Secretary [[Lawrence Strickling]] about the issue of the "revolving door" at ICANN, referencing how some of the organization's staff and Board members had left their positions after obtaining high-paying industry positions. In his letter, Wyden pointed out that sale of domain names has become a multi-million dollar industry and it is expected to experience a significant growth due to the recent approval for the new gTLD expansion program. In his concern regarding the "revolving door" at ICANN, Wyden emphasized that he supported the NTIA regulating [[IANA|Internet Assigned Numbers Authority]], and pushed that IANA employees should be made subject to the same ethics rules as NTIA employees, in order to ensure that decisions are made impartially.<ref>[http://wyden.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=2e414e69-1250-4ca3-ae6b-2b6091ed52cc Wyden Calls for Ethics Rules to Prevent Revolving Door for Internet Domain Name Regulators]</ref> Senator Wyden recommended the inclusion of strict ethics guidelines highlighting transparency in the next contract negotiation for the administration of the IANA functions, whether it is made with ICANN or to any other organization.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/us-extends-icanns-iana-contract/ US extends ICANN’s IANA contract]</ref>  

On September 14, 2011, Sen. Wyden wrote to [[NTIA]] Assistant Secretary [[Lawrence Strickling]] about the issue of the "revolving door" at ICANN, referencing how some of the organization's staff and Board members had left their positions after obtaining high-paying industry positions. In his letter, Wyden pointed out that sale of domain names has become a multi-million dollar industry and it is expected to experience a significant growth due to the recent approval of [[ICANN]]'s [[New gTLD Program|new gTLD expansion program]]. Sen. Wyden emphasized that he supported NTIA regulating [[IANA|Internet Assigned Numbers Authority]], and suggested that IANA employees should be made subject to the same ethics rules as NTIA employees, in order to ensure that decisions are made impartially.<ref>[http://wyden.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=2e414e69-1250-4ca3-ae6b-2b6091ed52cc Wyden Calls for Ethics Rules to Prevent Revolving Door for Internet Domain Name Regulators]</ref> Senator Wyden recommended the inclusion of strict ethics guidelines highlighting transparency in the next contract negotiation for the administration of the IANA functions, whether it is made with ICANN or to any other organization.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/us-extends-icanns-iana-contract/ US extends ICANN’s IANA contract]</ref>  

Wyden raised his concern after several reports and criticisms were written about the "revolving door" issue when [[Peter Dengate Thrush]] joined [[Minds+Machines]] as Executive Chairman of the company on July 15, 2011, immediately following the expiration of his term as Chairman of the [[ICANN|Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers]] on June 24, 2011. Minds+Machines is a company dedicated to providing domain name management solutions, including for new gTLD applications; Thrush voted for the approval of the implementation of the new [[gTLD]] Expansion Program schedule to start on January 12, 2012.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/icann-departures-draw-criticism/2011/08/19/gIQAzpeDTJ_story_1.html ICANN departures after Web suffix vote draw criticism]</ref>

Wyden raised his concern after several reports and criticisms were written about the "revolving door" issue when [[Peter Dengate Thrush]] joined [[Minds+Machines]] as Executive Chairman of the company on July 15, 2011, immediately following the expiration of his term as Chairman of the [[ICANN Board]] on June 24, 2011. Minds+Machines is a company dedicated to providing domain name management solutions, including for new gTLD applications; Mr. Thrush voted for the approval of the implementation of the new [[gTLD]] Expansion Program, which opened on January 12, 2012.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/icann-departures-draw-criticism/2011/08/19/gIQAzpeDTJ_story_1.html ICANN departures after Web suffix vote draw criticism]</ref>

In response, Asst. Sec. Strickling informed Sen. Wyden that NTIA was actively exploring including provisions in the next IANA contract that would provide “a clear and enforced ethics and conflict of interest policy.” Strickling also cited the Notices of Inquiry conducted by the agency in connection with the IANA contract on February and June of 2011, wherein 136 comments were submitted by various Internet stakeholders who had also expressed their observation that ICANN's policies on accountability and transparency needs to be elevated.<ref>[http://internetcommerce.org/internetcommerce.org/NTIA_on_IANA_to_Wyden NTIA Actively Exploring Inclusion of Ethics and Conflict of Interest Provisions in IANA Contract]</ref>

In response, Asst. Sec. Strickling informed Sen. Wyden that NTIA was actively exploring including provisions in the next IANA contract that would provide “a clear and enforced ethics and conflict of interest policy.” Strickling also cited the Notices of Inquiry conducted by the agency in connection with the IANA contract on February and June of 2011, wherein 136 comments were submitted by various Internet stakeholders who had also expressed their observation that ICANN's policies on accountability and transparency needs to be elevated.<ref>[http://internetcommerce.org/internetcommerce.org/NTIA_on_IANA_to_Wyden NTIA Actively Exploring Inclusion of Ethics and Conflict of Interest Provisions in IANA Contract]</ref>

==Award Received from the Electronic Frontier Foundation==

==Award Received from the Electronic Frontier Foundation==

On November 15, 2011, Sen. Wyden was one of the recipients of the 20th Pioneer Awards from the [[EFF|Electronic Frontier Foundation]], in recognition for his continuous advocacy in promoting online privacy rights, freedom of speech, and innovation. The foundation commended Wyden’s effort in adding Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which provides immunity to [[ISP]]s from liability related to restricting customers who publish harmful or inappropriate materials on the Internet. EFF also praised Wyden’s commitment to blocking the enactment of the Protect IP Act, which aims to protect intellectual property rights but curtail freedom of speech and destroy innovation and the present Internet architecture.<ref>[https://www.eff.org/awards/pioneer Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) 20th Annual Pioneer Awards]</ref>

On November 15, 2011, Sen. Wyden was one of the recipients of the 20th Pioneer Awards from the [[EFF|Electronic Frontier Foundation]], in recognition for his continuous advocacy in promoting online privacy rights, freedom of speech, and innovation. The foundation commended Wyden’s effort in adding Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which provides immunity to [[ISP]]s from liability related to restricting customers who publish harmful or inappropriate materials on the Internet. EFF also praised Wyden’s commitment to blocking the enactment of the Protect IP Act, which aimed to protect intellectual property rights but would've potentially curtailed freedom of speech and innovation and the present Internet architecture.<ref>[https://www.eff.org/awards/pioneer Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) 20th Annual Pioneer Awards]</ref>

==References==

==References==

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[[Category:People]]

[[Category:Government Workers]]