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Software and Information Industry Association

Trade association

Software and Information Industry Association

Trade association

FieldValue
nameSoftware and Information Industry Association
logoSIIA logo.jpg
abbreviationSIIA
formation1984
headquartersWashington, D.C.
leader_titlePresident
leader_nameChristopher Mohr
website

The Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) is a trade association dedicated to the entertainment, consumer and business software industries. Established in 1984 as the Software Publishers Association (SPA), the SIIA took its new name when it merged with the related Information Industry Association on January 1, 1999. The joint enterprise was headed by Software Publishers Association founder Ken Wasch and operated out of the SPA's existing offices.

The SPA was active in lobbying, industry research and anti-piracy efforts, and was behind the 1992 Don't Copy That Floppy campaign. The organization's head of research, Ann Stephens, went on to found PC Data in 1991. By 1995, the SPA had over 1,100 software companies in its membership and according to Wired was among "the most powerful computer-related trade groups" before its merger with the Information Industry Association. While Microsoft became a member of the SPA in 1986, it split with the SIIA in 2000 after the group sided against Microsoft in United States v. Microsoft Corp. The Wall Street Journal described Microsoft as the SIIA's "largest member" before the departure.

Until 1999, the Software Publishers Association hosted the SPA Annual Conference for software companies. It was renamed the InfoSoft Essentials conference in 1999.

Divisions

Public Policy ~ legal and public policy

IP Protection ~ protecting software content

Connectiv ~ business information

ETIN ~ Education Technology

FISD ~ Financial & Information

SIPA ~ Specialized Information Publishers

SSD ~ Software & Services

Advocacy

Don't Copy That Floppy

Main article: Don't Copy That Floppy

Don't Copy That Floppy was an anti-copyright infringement campaign run by the SPA beginning in 1992. The video for the campaign, starring M. E. Hart as "MC Double Def DP", was filmed at Cardozo High School in Washington, D.C. and produced by cooperation between the SPA, the Educational Section Anti-Piracy Committee, and the Copyright Protection Fund, in association with Vilardi Films. The groups distributed the film for general viewing through VHS tapes that were mailed to schools. In later years, the film became an internet meme on websites such as YouTube.

Alongside the internet popularity, a clip of it was also used for a sample by American indie pop band TV Girl.

Main article: Copyright Remedy Clarification Act

SIIA filed briefs in Allen v. Cooper, which was decided in 2020: the Supreme Court of the United States abrogated the Copyright Remedy Clarification Act as unconstitutional, SIIA had argued the opposite view.

Awards ceremonies

CODiE Awards

Beginning in 1986, the Software Publishers Association hosted the "Excellence in Software Awards" ceremony, an annual black-tie event that The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times compared to the Academy Awards. The Excellence in Software Awards were later renamed the "CODiE Awards", and were presented by the Software and Information Industry Association (SPA's successor in interest) until 2025 when they were sold to CODiEAwards.com.

Notable past winners include companies such as Adobe, BrainPOP, Google, Knewton, McGraw-Hill Education, Jigsaw, Netsuite, Red Hat, Rosetta Stone, Salesforce.com, Digimind, Scribe Software, Vocus, WSJ.com, codemantra, IXL Learning, itslearning, and more.

Jesse H. Neal Awards

The Jesse H. Neal Awards were created in 1955 for editorial excellence in business Media and named after Jesse H. Neal, Connectiv's first managing director. Nations Restaurant News says winning the Neal Award is like winning the Pulitzer Prize for Business-to-business (B2B) platforms. Entries are judged in three areas ~ editorial craftsmanship, extent of service to the field and journalistic enterprise. Out of the 21 categories one winner will be selected for The Grand Neal Award. As of 2018 there have been 23 winners of The Grand Neal Award. In 2019 John Heltman, Business and Finance Reporter with American Banker and SourceMedia won{{cite web|url=https://www.siia.net/neals/2019-Finalist-Gallery|title=2019 Finalists & Winners

References

References

  1. "About us".
  2. Silber, Tony. (April 10, 2013). "ABM to Merge With Software and Information Industry Association". FolioMag.
  3. Hane, Paula J.. (January 25, 1999). "The SPA-IIA Merger is Now Official". [[Information Today]].
  4. Stuebe, Alison. (April 24, 1996). "The Struggle to Teach Virtual Ethics". [[The New York Times]].
  5. Corcoran, Elizabeth. (August 19, 1996). "Software Sales, by the Numbers". [[Washington Post]].
  6. Fryer, Bronwyn. (May 1, 1995). "The Software Police".
  7. Stamper, Chris. (December 18, 1998). "The Über IT Trade Group".
  8. Haney, Clare. (March 8, 2000). "Microsoft resigns from SIIA". [[Computerworld]].
  9. Foley, Mary Jo. (March 10, 1999). "Free-Software Advocate Offers Remedies for Microsoft Case". [[Wall Street Journal]].
  10. (June 1999). "SIIA Announces Plans for Upcoming Conference". [[Information Today]].
  11. (December 2003). "Don't Copy That Floppy". [[Future Publishing]].
  12. (2 April 2009). "Don't Copy That Floppy".
  13. LaVallee, Andrew. (September 8, 2009). "'Don't Copy That Floppy' Dusts Itself Off for the '00s". [[The Wall Street Journal]].
  14. Girl, TV. (28 March 2016). "Taking What's Not Yours".
  15. (May 7, 2015). "SIIA Announces CODiE Award Winners for Software Industry". Software and Information Industry Association.
  16. Magid, Lawrence J.. (April 5, 1990). "The Software Industry Gives Its Own 'Oscars'". [[Los Angeles Times]].
  17. Magid, Lawrence J.. (April 11, 1988). "Software Awards Reward 25 Best Programs of '87". [[The Washington Post]].
  18. "2021 Winners".
  19. "www.siia.net/codies".
  20. (April 1, 2019). "NRN named Best Media Brand by Jesse H. Neal Awards". [[Nation's Restaurant News]].
  21. "Previous Winners of the Grand Neal Award". [[SIIA]].
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