Back in 1997, President Clinton came out with the American government's first policies on e-commerce. He wanted to let the private sector lead and police itself, and avoid too much government regulation. The fact that the Internet is growing as rapidly as it is, proves the policies were the right ones. Some things obviously require protection as a matter of law, such as intellectual property. And our laws have to catch up with the technology.
Electronic commerce offers enormous opportunities for the region.
It will allow producers to reach markets previously unavailable. It will allow consumers to have greater choice, lower prices, and increased convenience. And it will allow our governments to offer services more efficiently Getting the framework right for e-commerce is an important role for government. I look forward to hearing how you are dealing with this in Brazil.