Between April 1st and June 30th, Google spent $950,000 on lobbying activities.  That represents an increase of 8.0 percent compared to the $880,000 it spent last quarter, and an increase of a whopping 30.1 percent compared to the $730,000 it spent during the second quarter of 2008.

As for what Google focused on, the search giant talked to lawmakers about a number of different issues, including the regulation of online advertising, online consumer protection, health information technology, and copyright issues related to the Google Book Search settlement.

Renewable energy policies and the Smart Grid were on the company’s agenda, as well, and cloud computing was discussed several different times.

It’s probably not appropriate to worry that Google’s got too tight a hold on lawmakers’ ears and wallets, though.  Jessica E. Vascellaro noted, “[O]ther tech giants still spend far more on lobbying.  For example, Microsoft spent $1.9 million in the second quarter.  AT&T spent $3.1 million.”

Between April 1st and June 30th, Google spent $950,000 on lobbying activities.  That represents an increase of 8.0 percent compared to the $880,000 it spent last quarter, and an increase of a whopping 30.1 percent compared to the $730,000 it spent during the second quarter of 2008.

As for what Google focused on, the search giant talked to lawmakers about a number of different issues, including the regulation of online advertising, online consumer protection, health information technology, and copyright issues related to the Google Book Search settlement.

Renewable energy policies and the Smart Grid were on the company’s agenda, as well, and cloud computing was discussed several different times.

It’s probably not appropriate to worry that Google’s got too tight a hold on lawmakers’ ears and wallets, though.  Jessica E. Vascellaro noted, “[O]ther tech giants still spend far more on lobbying.  For example, Microsoft spent $1.9 million in the second quarter.  AT&T spent $3.1 million.”

Between April 1st and June 30th, Google spent $950,000 on lobbying activities.  That represents an increase of 8.0 percent compared to the $880,000 it spent last quarter, and an increase of a whopping 30.1 percent compared to the $730,000 it spent during the second quarter of 2008.

As for what Google focused on, the search giant talked to lawmakers about a number of different issues, including the regulation of online advertising, online consumer protection, health information technology, and copyright issues related to the Google Book Search settlement.

Renewable energy policies and the Smart Grid were on the company’s agenda, as well, and cloud computing was discussed several different times.

It’s probably not appropriate to worry that Google’s got too tight a hold on lawmakers’ ears and wallets, though.  Jessica E. Vascellaro noted, “[O]ther tech giants still spend far more on lobbying.  For example, Microsoft spent $1.9 million in the second quarter.  AT&T spent $3.1 million.”

Between April 1st and June 30th, Google spent $950,000 on lobbying activities.  That represents an increase of 8.0 percent compared to the $880,000 it spent last quarter, and an increase of a whopping 30.1 percent compared to the $730,000 it spent during the second quarter of 2008.

As for what Google focused on, the search giant talked to lawmakers about a number of different issues, including the regulation of online advertising, online consumer protection, health information technology, and copyright issues related to the Google Book Search settlement.

Renewable energy policies and the Smart Grid were on the company’s agenda, as well, and cloud computing was discussed several different times.

It’s probably not appropriate to worry that Google’s got too tight a hold on lawmakers’ ears and wallets, though.  Jessica E. Vascellaro noted, “[O]ther tech giants still spend far more on lobbying.  For example, Microsoft spent $1.9 million in the second quarter.  AT&T spent $3.1 million.”

How do you know the organization, and the op-ed, weren’t created by LawMedia Group at the behest of some well-funded clients? If they did their jobs right, you don’t know.

Some of them have left digital fingerprints here and there, though, says Declan McCullagh, in a blockbuster of a report exposing the intellectual whoredom offered for various important issues. Shortly after Microsoft hired LawMedia, for example, legislators, national agencies, and news outlets received pointed complaints from coalitions of farmers, rural voters, and geeky Latinos about how Google’s advertising deal with Yahoo would wreck everything.

That respected and long-time telecom critic who suddenly changed his position on Net Neutrality and network management to more closely match the viewpoints of Comcast? Guess whose staffers probably wrote it. Probably only through sheer authorial laziness did portions of Mel King’s scathing anti-FCC editorial in the Harvard Crimson match Jesse Jackson’s scathing anti-FCC statement issued by the Rainbow Coalition three months earlier.

Plagiarism? Not if the same author wrote both statements. McCullagh makes a strong case that King didn’t actually write the op-ed ascribed to him. (It’s okay—some say the Pentateuch is pseudopigraphically attributed to Moses, and if that’s okay with God, it’s okay for lobbying firms rights?) As for Jackson, there seem to be a few statements floating around out there that he never actually said, and at least one he denies outright.

On its website, LawMedia says it has a longstanding policy of not disclosing its clients, and only describes them as "top Fortune 100 companies in the fields of telecommunications, media, aerospace and other industries."

They’re also not forthcoming about who works there except to say some have served as Chief Counsel to the House Judiciary Committee during the impeachment of a sitting president, or as counsel to leading companies on a slew of issues. They have a team of researchers and investigators and, apparently, writers, for any type of strategic communication needed, liberal or conservative, corporate or nonprofit.

And if you need to get news out, they’ve got a "shoulder to shoulder" relationship with key media figures, and can get those op-eds placed pretty much anywhere you like.

Don’t call them a PR firm or a lobbying firm though, Law Media – which has a ton of lawyers working for them too—is a "public affairs firm" specializing in producing "remarkable coalitions" for anything one might need a coalition for.

Heck, I bet if you and I decided we need a Coalition of Hooters Girls for Topless Grocery Shopping, we could get us one. I’m a little short on change, so, uh, while I provide the brains of the operation—or allow LawMedia to—you might need to provide the material support.
 

What issues were Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo lobbying legislators for?

Many of the issues overlap. All three went to bat on patent reform, opening up wireless spectrum and specifically "white spaces," and cyber security and anti-phishing/spyware/malware initiatives. All three also lobbied on legislation regarding sex crimes—Google on efforts to crack down on child pornography, Yahoo on requiring registered sex offenders to provide the federal government with email addresses, instant messaging names and social networking handles for use in a national system, and Microsoft also on measures against online predators.

Google and Yahoo share the goal of keeping regulators out of online advertising, especially in regard to their recent ad partnership. Microsoft, as expected, is on the opposite side of that one.

Google and Yahoo also agree that legislation should be passed making it illegal for US companies hosting Internet content to give users’ personal information to governments like China, who restrict access—sort of a "protect us from ourselves" initiative.

Google and Microsoft can agree on legislation for mapping the (true) availability of high-speed Internet access and making broadband access more available. They’re also both fans of H-1B visa reform.

Microsoft and Yahoo team up in lobbying efforts regarding piracy, intellectual property, and copyrights.

Google, with a former McCain aid on their lobbying staff, goes after network neutrality legislation, while Microsoft croons about trade and taxes, and Yahoo speaks toward better online privacy.

The combined spending of all three don’t match the least spent by the top 20 so far this year. Number 20 on that list, the National Association of Broadcasters have already shelled out $5.6 million this year in their efforts to sway Congress. The US Chamber of Commerce, representing about 3 million businesses trumps them all soundly by cranking out $22.3 million.

That top 20 is telling for the conspiracy theory minded, made up of, after the Chamber of Commerce and the AARP, defense contractors, media companies, medical, pharmaceutical, and insurance lobbies, and of course cable and telecommunications companies. Verizon leads that last pack, shelling out $8.9 million already.

Last year a total of $2.82 billion was spent lobbying Congress, according to OpenSecrets.org, and 2008 is well on its way to surpassing the $3 billion mark.