Tim Cook drops by D.C. to talk tech with U.S. senator

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Tim Cook made a stop by the Senate after his Apple Store visit. Photo: Apple
Tim Cook made a stop by the Senate after his Apple Store visit. Photo: Apple

Tim Cook made a visit to Washington D.C. this week to discuss the U.S. technology policy with one of the most tech-focused Senators on Capitol Hill.

The Apple CEO met with Senator Orrin Hatch from Utah on Tuesday, reports The Hill, after Cook paid a visit to the nearby Georgetown Apple Store the previous day for Worlds AIDS day. Senator Hatch’s Innovation Agenda for the 114th Congress was the focus of the conversation, as Hatch currently serves as the chairman of the Senate Republican High-Tech Task Force.

Senator Hatch plans to address several critical issues that have been facing the technology industry for years, like the patent trolls that cost the industry $60 billion a year. A plan to ensure the U.S. continues to be one of the world’s top innovators was laid out by the senator earlier this year.

“As chairman of the Republican High-Tech Task Force, Sen. Hatch plans to focus on fostering an environment that encourages research and innovation,” Hatch’s office told the Hill late on Tuesday evening.

The details of what Cook and Hatch talked about aren’t available, nor is it known whether Cook met with other senators. Cook was likely anxious to hear about Hatch’s agenda for the newly Republican-controlled Senate that is set to reconvene in January of 2015.

Along with addressing abusive patent litigation, Hatch plans to add more protections for trade secrets, modernize the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, tighten cybersecurity, reform immigration policy for high-skilled workers, reduce regulatory and tax burdens for innovators, and remove barriers to digital trade.

Source: The Hill

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