I hope he's right.
I don't know SI's rules. It looks as though you have to wait a few days before you can post.
Tomorrow's news from Financial Times:
<<<
ft.com
FRIDAY MAY 15 1998ÿÿComputingÿ
Internet commerce rules agreed
By Guy de JonquiĊ res
The US and Japan have agreed a set of basic principles for the development of electronic commerce, which the US says will help promote worldwide acceptance of its policies towards the internet.
The US is hailing the agreement, which calls for a market-based approach led by the private sector, as a victory in its campaign to persuade Japan to act more aggressively to deregulate its economy.
The agreement will be announced when US President Bill Clinton and Ryutaro Hashimoto, Japan's prime minister, meet in Birmingham today before the G8 summit.
A joint statement commits the two governments to refrain from imposing unnecessary restrictions on electronic commerce, and to encourage the development of self-regulation by private sector internet users.
The agreement calls for no border tariffs to be imposed on international electronic transmissions, and for close co-operation to prevent tax evasion and avoidance on the internet.
The statement coincides with a last-minute push by the US to persuade World Trade Organisation members to agree to keep electronic transmissions duty-free, before President Clinton attends the WTO's ministerial meeting in Geneva on Monday.
The US hopes its agreement with Japan will place pressure on the European Union to take a more flexible stance in disputes over data protection rules and methods for authenticating electronic transactions.
Washington and Brussels are at loggerheads over an EU law, which could require the US to establish statutory rules and set up government regulatory agencies to ensure the protection of personal data.
The EU has threatened to prohibit European companies from transmitting electronic data to the US, if it does not comply with the law by October. Data protection in the US is largely provided by self-regulation by the private sector.
The US and EU also differ over whether responsibility for authenticating electronic transmission should be left to the private sector or should require government licensing arrangements.
The US-Japan agreement also calls for the free flow of information across borders, the use of filtering devices rather than government censorship to protect children against undesirable content and guarantees that internet users will match the levels of consumer protection of conventional commerce.
The White House said Japan had agreed to the statement because electronic commerce was a new area, in which there were no vested interests to oppose a market-oriented approach.
"Progressives in the Japanese government and industry hope that this agreement will be a model for the future," it said.>>>
Later --
Pat |
