Gary Shapiro

Gary Shapiro is the President and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association. Shapiro is also the author of the best-selling book The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream and numerous opinion pieces published in outlets such as Forbes, The Huffington Post, The Daily Caller, and numerous other publications.

Professional history

Education and early career

Shapiro holds a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. He is also a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the State University of New York at Binghamton, where he majored in economics and psychology. Shapiro was an associate at the law firm of Squire, Sanders and Dempsey. He also worked as a legislative aide on Capitol Hill.^[1][2][3]

Home Recording Rights Coalition

Shapiro is chairman of the Home Recording Rights Coalition (HRRC).^[3]

The HRRC is a nonprofit advocacy organization in the United States whose mission is to protect the right of consumers to view, listen to and record radio and television broadcasts. Founded in 1981 in response to the Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc. case, the group more recently has urged the U.S. Congress and Federal Communications Commission to prevent for-profit corporations and their trade organizations (like the Motion Picture Association of America and Recording Industry Association of America) from eroding or even destroying the private, in-home "fair use" recording of new digital audio and video technologies.

While Shapiro was at Georgetown, J. Edward Day, the inventor of the ZIP code and a senior partner at Squire, began to mentor Shapiro. He instructed Shapiro to begin monitoring developments in the Sony case. The case was filed to prevent Sony and retailers from making and selling video cassette recorders. Movie studios claimed the exclusive right to copy their works and said Sony was contributing to copyright infringement by allowing consumers to record broadcast television using VCRs. In 1979, a federal district court rejected the movie industry's claims. This decision was appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which held that the VCR was an illegal product. Sony and the other defendants then appealed to the United States Supreme Court.^[2][3][4]

The decision by the Ninth Circuit against Sony spurred a group of retailers, consumer groups and manufacturers, such as 3M, General Electric and RCA, to start weekly meetings in order to coordinate their fight against the verdict. These meetings quickly resulted in the creation of the HRRC.^[2]

As chairman of the coalition, Shapiro has testified often before Congress and has helped ensure the growth of the video rental market, VCRs, home computers, and audio-recording equipment, including MP3 technology.

Consumer Electronics Association

Shapiro is president and CEO of CEA, a nonprofit trade group that represents roughly 2,000 American firms that make and sell electronics and software. As head of CEA, Shapiro is tasked with publicly addressing policy issues specific to the technology industry, in addition to broader political questions.^[1][2][3] CEA also conducts "market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, [and] standards development," and it fosters "business and strategic relationships." Shapiro has worked for CEA since 1979, when he was still a law student.^[2][3][5]

Gary Shapiro introduces former Mass. Governor Mitt Romney (R) at CEA HQ in Arlington, VA, 2009

International CES

CEA hosts the annual International CES in Las Vegas and co-hosts several smaller events around the world. The International CES is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center and several other Las Vegas venues. Not open to the public, the CEA-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new product announcements. CES rose to prominence after COMDEX was canceled.

High-definition television standards

Shapiro has been an active leader in the development and launch of HDTV. He helped found and chaired the HDTV Model Station, and has served on the board of the Advanced Television Test Center.^[3]

Public service

Shapiro serves on the board of directors of The Economic Club of Washington, D.C. and the Northern Virginia Technology Council, and on the State Department's Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy. Previously, Shapiro served on the Board of Visitors of George Mason University.

Writing

Shapiro is an prolific writer who pens regular pieces for The Huffington Post, Forbes magazine, The Daily Caller, and numerous other publications.

The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream

Shapiro is the author of the book, The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream, published in January 2011. The book's foreword was written by Mark Cuban. In this book, Shapiro argues that technological innovation, when supported by a policy environment that enables entrepreneurship and technology-led change, can improve the economic situation of the United States.^[2]

More specifically, Shapiro argues for:^[1]

• "Reforming immigration laws to ensure the world's best and brightest come to and stay in America." "Opening American products to world markets by finalizing, expanding, and creating free-trade agreements."
• "Releasing more spectrum for wireless broadband."
• "Reducing litigation, encouraging investment rather than debt, improving educa-tion and supporting America's best companies."
• "Drastically reducing the deficit through triage, smarter tax collection, and economic growth."

The Comeback was published by Beaufort Books and is available as an audio book.^[1] Shapiro has authored "Ninja Innovation: The Killer Strategies of Successful Businesses," which will be released January 2013 by Harper Collins.

Awards and recognition

Shapiro has been listed repeatedly by Washington Life as one of the 100 most influential figures in the capital. He was recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as a "mastermind" for his work helping to create the Industry Cooperative for Ozone Layer Protection. He was inducted into the Academy of Digital Television Pioneers and in 2003 received its highest award as the industry leader most influential in advancing HDTV.^[1]

Shapiro has held many exhibition industry leadership posts and chaired the Exhibition Industry Foundation. In 2002, Shapiro received the exhibition industry’s highest award, the Pinnacle Award. In 2004, the Anti-Defamation League honored Shapiro with its American Heritage Award at its annual dinner in recognition of his "long commitment to the humanitarian goals of civil rights and justice."^[3][6][7]

Family

Shapiro divorced and later remarried. He has two sons with his second wife, Dr. Susan Malinowski, and two sons from a previous marriage. Shapiro did not expect Malinowski's first pregnancy and described his young son as a "miracle child."^[2][5]

References