Privacy

AT&T, Verizon spend millions to access California cable TV market

February 1, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>The contributions came as lawmakers were rewriting the rules governing the state cable industry to make it much easier for telephone companies to compete for the 7.4 million California households that subscribe to cable. "The $25 million the telephone industry spent on lobbying was the factor in passing the bill," said Carmen Balber, consumer advocate for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a Santa Monica group that has been critical of the measure.</p>

Clear the Pipes

January 31, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">Builders, construction companies and developers <a href="http://arnoldwatch.org/special_interests/index.html">poured a whopping $15.9 million into the governor's campaign chests</a> over the last...</font>

Key stem cell patent holder won’t seek licensing fees

January 30, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">San Francisco Business Times</p> <p>John M. Simpson of Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which petitioned the Patent and Trademark Office to reexamine the key WARF patents, said WARF's decision will not have any effect on the patent challenges.</p>

Certain fees for stem cells waived

January 23, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Wisconsin State Journal</p> <p>John Simpson, spokesman for the California watchdog group, said the pressure of the patent review helped lead to WARF's policy changes. "It's an acknowledgement that what they had been doing clearly was not in the best interest of stem-cell research in the United States," Simpson said.</p>

WARF eases stem cell license fees

January 23, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Group won't charge for research; foes say more is needed</h3><p class="source">The Capitol Times (Madison, WI)</p> <p>"This is a clear acknowledgement that their earlier policies were definitely detrimental to stem cell research in the United States, which was a point we made when we filed our request for re-examination," said John Simpson, stem cell project director for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.</p>

Tech-Transfer Arm of U. of Wisconsin Retreats From Licensing Demands on Stem-Cell Patents

January 23, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Chronicle of Higher Education</p> <p>The foundation that manages the University of Wisconsin at Madison's patents on groundbreaking discoveries on embryonic stem cells is backing away from many of the aggressive licensing demands it had been making on academic scientists.</p>

Rules on stem cell licensing loosened;

January 22, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Lower research cost possible</h3><p class="source">Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel</p> <p>"It's clear they are responding to all the complaints" launched by the academic and research communities, said John M. Simpson, stem cell project director at the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, Calif. WARF's "patents and the way WARF was doing business was clearly an impediment to research."</p>

Online firms profiting from fixing iPods

January 22, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Merced Sun-Star (California)</p> <p>"Some people have scratched screens, other people have (broken screens) ... and that's just from putting it in your pocket," said Harvey Rosenfield, president of The Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, which is suing Apple over the Nano. "This is not a throwaway camera. ... These are a sophisticated piece of electronic equipment that people will assume will last a long, long time. And when they don't, that's improper."</p>

Share the fruits of state research

January 14, 2007  ·  John M. Simpson

<p class="source">The Albany Times-Union (New York)</p> <p>Companies like Genentech act like committed socialists when it comes to taxpayers and the government bearing the risk of drug development. But they are greedy capitalists when it's time to parcel out the profits. When venture capitalists provide money to companies they require clearly spelled out conditions and expectations. There is no reason it should be any different when New York's taxpayers put their hard-earned dollars on the line to fund research. They are entitled to insist upon maximum public benefit for their investment. </p>

Share the fruits of state research

January 14, 2007  ·  John M. Simpson

<p class="source">The Albany Times-Union (New York)</p> <p>Companies like Genentech act like committed socialists when it comes to taxpayers and the government bearing the risk of drug development. But they are greedy capitalists when it's time to parcel out the profits. When venture capitalists provide money to companies they require clearly spelled out conditions and expectations. There is no reason it should be any different when New York's taxpayers put their hard-earned dollars on the line to fund research. They are entitled to insist upon maximum public benefit for their investment.</p>

Patently problematic disputes;

January 11, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>A US firm's copyrights on stem cells pose a serious issue for researchers, reports</h3><p class="source">The Australian</p> <p>Concern has reached fever pitch in the US, where the Los Angeles-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights and New York City's Public Patent Foundation teamed up to push the US Patent and Trademark Office to review the WARF patents.</p>

Assembly speaker generous with raises

January 10, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Sacramento Bee (California)</p> <p>Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said legislative staff jobs should not be measured by pay alone. Lucrative pensions and quality health care plans add to their attractiveness, he said. "Certainly taxpayers should be hiring the best and brightest, but there should be some fiscal restraint," he said.</p>