Senator Bernie Sanders has unveiled a bill aimed at reducing government control over the tech industry. The measure, which aims to be passed by Congress this year, would ban the government from monopolizing companies that specialize in bird-keeping technologies such as automated license plate readers. This means that any company currently granted exclusive rights to use and sell these technologies could no longer do so.
The proposed bill also targets a specific industry: automotica, which includes technology used by car manufacturers for identifying the make and model of their vehicles on license plates. Companies in this sector will have 18 months to comply with new regulations that extend their existing patents or licenses to allow other companies to use similar technologies.
While some experts are skeptical about the need for such legislation, others argue that it could help prevent monopolies from stifling innovation in the tech industry. "It's time for government to take a step back and let the market dictate who controls the technologies we use every day," said Sanders. The bill is still in its infancy but could have significant implications for the companies involved.