HP, Samsung and Nokia push for digital reforms at G8

DigitalEurope, a technology industry advocacy group that includes HP, Intel, Cisco, Nokia, Oracle and Samsung, is asking world leaders to make technology a top priority at the upcoming G8 summit.

The organisation issued an open letter to the heads of each of the nine sovereign states, asking them to carefully consider policy reforms which would promote growth and integration in the digital market.

Among the measures being requested is a greater focus on crafting regulatory frameworks and policies regarding the growth and management of the digital market and the companies that operate within it.

No specific recommendations were given, but the letter asks government leaders to work on policies which can help to prevent fragmentation of policies and frameworks in different parts of the world.

"The internet is global. No single sovereign state or political union can exploit its full growth potential in isolation," DigitalEurope said in the letter.

The group noted that the internet plays a vital role in the European economy, and brings in some £100bn annually in the UK alone.

Policies concerning digital business and government regulations have been a hot topic of late. Last week's Hargreaves Review urged the government to overhaul its intellectual property laws in the face of emerging technologies and businesses.

Proposals for patent reform in the US have also been put forward by president Barack Obama, aimed at speeding up the application process and simplifying intellectual property dispute resolution.