[author: Jared Brenner]

Some interesting links we found across the web this week:

Last-minute change to privacy bill adds tension to US-EU negotiations
Privacy law is easy for companies to overlook until a problem arises, and even more so on an international level. Nevertheless, keep an eye on this pending deal between the US government and the European Union. It’s on the path to establishing new standards for cross-border data protection, giving EU citizens a way to challenge violations of their privacy rights by US companies using American courts.

The danger the FCC can’t see in its new video proposal
Meanwhile, down the street from Congress, the FCC unveiled a surprise proposal this week targeting cable companies’ unwillingness to open their services to integration of third-party content providers. Startups in the TV distribution space should watch closely, and click through to the proposal text from this Washington Post article.

The Missing Startup Recovery
Economists are stumped: despite ongoing job growth, there is a perceived decline in the number of jobs created by the launch of new companies. Prognosticators take note, and click through to the Haltiwanger paper for charts upon charts!

The Rise of Global Startup Cities
There’s a greater diversity of startup cities out there than you might think, especially when you consider per capita availability of venture capital. Compare the maps in this article to see what we mean.

Renaissance Florence Was a Better Model for Innovation than Silicon Valley Is
And for those planning the next great startup city, food for thought from the Harvard Business Review. We’re still partial to Silicon Valley (and Silicon Alley), but we’re also students of history here at WilmerHale and it’s an interesting argument!