Litigation, legislation, and lawsuits: IT lobbyists

by Matthew Osborn | May 31, 1999 7:00:00 AM

Tags: Matthew Osborn

Takeaway: The legislative spotlight is shining on IT. Here are three lobby groups that have e-commerce and the Internet at the forefront of their efforts.

Every Monday, TechRepublic will bring you legal issues facing CIOs and senior IT executives that could help you protect your enterprise from future liability. We’ll address topics ranging from judicial decisions and congressional hearings to staffing concerns.

Lobbying local, state, and federal governments is constitutionally protected under the right to free speech and petition government. Like them or not, lobbyists can utilize their congressional and political networks to weave through government bureaucracy, making legislators and agency officials aware of issues facing your company. Here are some to watch.

Who are the groups?

• The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is a national organization that recently purchased two Web-industry trade associations, the Association of Interactive Marketing (AIM) and Internet Alliance (IA). The DMA addresses topics ranging from postal regulations, privacy, and e-mail issues, to content control. They have nearly 4,500 business members throughout the world. The acquisition of AIM and IA, which are independent subsidiaries, makes the DMA the largest electronic commerce lobbyist.
• IA focuses on the rapidly growing needs of the Internet industry, particularly in the realm of e-commerce. Internet taxation, children’s online marketing, consumer privacy, and Internet security are included in the organization’s policy. IA specifically targets legislation it views as shortsighted.
• AIM , in existence since 1993, promotes educational and networking opportunities to Internet-based companies. The organization is especially vocal in regards to protecting the Internet from what it considers heavy-handed federal legislation.
• Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) is involved in protecting the collective interests of enterprises selling advertising on the Internet. The group provides additional member services, such as networking, professional seminars and conferences, and forums that enable members to share their opinions with peers.

How to contact them?
If you want more information on how to contact specific lobbyists and their respective firms, visit these sites:

• American League of Lobbyists is a national, nonprofit organization of more than 500 members, covering the spectrum of interests of numerous corporate and public sector groups. It offers seminars and speakers to outside organizations.
• Lobbyists.com is currently under construction. When completed, the Web site will feature a registry of lobbyists listed by specialty and geographic location. The lobbyists also will be broken down by level of government (i.e. federal, state, and local).