Government

KC startups join Techstars, Amazon and Kickstarter to support net neutrality

By Tommy Felts / June 6, 2017

Amazon, Kickstarter, Etsy, Mozilla and other tech giants are planning a “day of action” on July 12 to oppose efforts to undo net neutrality regulations by Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai. As national momentum grows, the fight for a free and open Internet already has garnered local support.  More than a dozen Kansas City-area…

Read More >

Visualize Kansas City’s digital divide with this new Smart City tool

By Tommy Felts / May 25, 2017

A canyon between those with consistent access to computers and the Internet and those who don’t, the digital divide is often discussed in the abstract. However difficult to conceptualize in a broad scale, the digital divide in Kansas City has real economic, cultural and social implications in our community. That’s why the City of Kansas…

Read More >

Legal review: Supreme Court’s unanimous patent troll ruling, effects on KC

By Tommy Felts / May 24, 2017

A recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court is being hailed as a significant blow to so-called patent trolls. Supreme Court justices unanimously ruled on Monday that patent infringement lawsuits may only be brought against defendants in the state in which the company is incorporated. The ruling dings “patent troll” plaintiffs that shop the country…

Read More >

KCMO offers FAQ on its prospective Airbnb, Homeaway regulations

By Tommy Felts / May 22, 2017

On Monday, the City of Kansas City, Mo. released newly-proposed rules on how it may regulate home-sharing services like Airbnb and Homeaway. City officials are planning to introduce the proposed ordinance at the Kansas City Planning Commission on June 6. After that, the proposal will head to the Kansas City Council, where it will likely…

Read More >