Speical Report Looks Ahead To 2017 -- A Year Of Change For Tech & Telecom, Privacy, And Intellectual Property

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Bloomberg BNA today announced the availability of its 2017 outlook on tech and telecom, intellectual property, and privacy and data security.  The publication portends a year of potentially seismic regulatory shifts due to the incoming Trump administration's policies and a shifting European regulatory mindset.  The outlook is available on Bloomberg Law and a complimentary copy is online at http://on.bna.com/2L1h306U8Ur.

"Our news teams have spoken with policy experts from across the country and in Europe to piece together this look ahead at what will be a year of significant change in tech and telecom, IP, and privacy for U.S. multinationals in a wide range of industries," said Alex Butler, Vice President and General Manager, Bloomberg Law.  "The network of laws, regulations and policies that were put in place in the Obama administration are now up in the air.  With such significant changes, this outlook publication offers business leaders a roadmap for 2017 and a blueprint of the issues that bear closest scrutiny."  

Some of the highlights of the report include:

Telecommunications – Some major Democratic telecommunications policies are likely to be revisited by the Trump administration, including the FCC's net neutrality rules, which will be under attack from Republicans.   One Obama administration legacy that will survive is the push to shift spectrum licenses from television broadcasters to wireless and data companies. 

Privacy and Data Security – U.S. businesses need to be prepared to comply with the EU's new sweeping General Data Protection Regulation privacy rules, which dictates how to handle EU citizens' personal data, before it takes effect in May 2018.  The U.S. Supreme Court may weigh in to clarify a threshold legal standard that could impact the ability of plaintiffs to bring data breach class action lawsuits.  A key court case involving the Federal Trade Commission's regulation of data security at U.S. companies may make clear its enforcement authority. 

Intellectual Property - The U.S. Patent and Trade Office is slated to fine-tune its patent eligibility guidelines early in the year.  Also worth watching is whether the U.S. Circuit Court for the Federal Circuit will decide whether to throw out patents held by a Smartflash LLC, which would be a win for Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc.'s Google and Samsung Electronics America Inc.

Technology – Federal regulation is unlikely to keep pace with the explosion of artificial intelligence technologies and will in all likelihood maintain a hands-off approach.  The sharing economy will be front and center as Uber heads into the year weighed down by lawsuits over whether it has to treat its drivers as employees or contractors. The answer to that question will ripple across the burgeoning sharing economy.

Bloomberg BNA publishes a number of 2017 outlooks across business areas that address the policies likely to shape the year ahead.  To view them all, visit https://www.bna.com/2017-outlook.

About Bloomberg BNA

Bloomberg BNA provides legal, tax and compliance professionals with critical information, practical guidance and workflow solutions.  We leverage leading technology and a global network of experts to deliver a unique combination of news and authoritative analysis, comprehensive research solutions, innovative practice tools, and proprietary business data and analytics.  Bloomberg BNA is wholly-owned by Bloomberg L.P., the global business, financial information and news leader.  For more information, visit www.bna.com. 

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