Look for a line of greeting cards, T-shirts, coffee mugs and calendars soon. The Internet economy got a boost as the Northern California U.S. District Court struck down a 1993 ruling prohibiting distribution of encryption software over the Net. The feds have long held that they alone must create encryption standards so they can monitor Internet traffic. Encryption proponents argue that e-commerce will only take off when consumers are sure it's secure. Another good sign for Silicon Valley exports was the recommendation by 18 Pacific Rim nations that the World Trade Organization reduce or eliminate tariffs on high-tech hardware and software.
Silicon Valley is still the target of about a quarter of the nation's venture capital.
Experts predict Internet enterprises could drive a record-breaking year for venture capital in Silicon Valley in 1997. Jobs and Jobs Turns out Steve Jobs isn't the only one who got a new job in Silicon Valley this year. At 3.3 percent, unemployment is at its lowest rate in the valley since 1989. Santa Clara County added 30,000 jobs in 1996, including 5,500 in November alone, due in part to rampant hiring of seasonal workers. Imagine, thousands of job openings in one company.