InfoWorld: Chip makers publish Net regulation white paper

“A group of associations representing the world’s top
semiconductor makers have called on world governments to ensure any
policies and regulations in the Internet arena promote competition
and are not used as excuses to further the governments’ regulatory
hand.”

“Chief among its recommendations is that the current WTO (World
Trade Organization) moratorium on e-commerce duties be made
permanent. Any taxes that are applied to e-commerce transactions
should not treat online sales any less favorably than real-world
transactions, no e-commerce-specific taxes should be introduced,
and tax regimes should be clear and simple.”

“The group also recommended that efforts to control encryption
products take into account the availability of such products on the
world market, and said it was “imperative that governments do not
impose restrictions in the name of national security that actually
serve to discourage or restrict the flow of information and,
ultimately, interfere with trade.”

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