Robert Holleyman

As President and CEO of BSA | The Software Alliance from 1990 until April 2013, Robert Holleyman long served as the chief advocate for the global software industry. Before leaving BSA to start his own venture, Cloud4Growth, Holleyman led the most successful anti-piracy program in the history of any industry, driving down software piracy rates in markets around the world.

Named one of the 50 most influential people in the intellectual property world, he was instrumental in putting into place the global policy framework that today protects software under copyright law. A widely respected champion for open markets, Holleyman also was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, the principal advisory committee for the US government on trade matters.

Holleyman was a leader in industry efforts to establish the legal framework necessary for cloud-computing technologies to flourish. He was an early proponent for policies that promote deployment of security technologies to build public trust and confidence in cyberspace. And he created a highly regarded series of forums for industry executives and policymakers to exchange points of view and forge agreements on the best ways to spur technology advances and promote economic growth.

Before heading BSA, Holleyman was a counselor and legislative adviser in the United States Senate, an attorney in private practice, and a judicial clerk in US District Court. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, a J.D. from Louisiana State University, and has completed the Stanford Executive Program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Posts by Robert Holleyman

A New Trade Agreement for a New Era of Digital Services

Jan 29, 2013 in Cloud Computing, Global Markets

Last week US Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced the Administration’s intention to start talks on an International Services Agreement (ISA) with Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and more than a dozen other trading partners. This is an ambitious undertaking, and it holds the potential to break wide open a services market of … Read More >>

Inflection Points for Washington and the Software Industry

Nov 28, 2012 in Cloud Computing, Global Markets, Intellectual Property

The Obama Administration and Congress have reached an inflection point in the wake of the 2012 election: The country is facing a steep “fiscal cliff” that no one wants to go over, but steering away from it will require policymakers to make difficult budgeting choices that few people will like. The software industry meanwhile has … Read More >>

Kappos Offers Fact-Driven Analysis of the Software Patent System

Nov 20, 2012 in Intellectual Property

Against the backdrop of an ongoing debate in industry and policy circles about the impact of software patents on innovation and the economy, US Patent and Trademark Director Dave Kappos this morning argued that the patent system works well. His remarks came in a keynote address at the Center for American Progress, which is worth … Read More >>

Three Ways the Administration and 113th Congress Can Accelerate the Digital Economy to Achieve Election Goals

Nov 7, 2012 in Cloud Computing, Global Markets, Intellectual Property

The 2012 US election was about many things, but first and foremost it was about growing the economy and creating jobs. With the campaign now over, the Obama Administration and incoming 113th Congress can accomplish both of those goals in the innovation-driven IT sector by focusing on three big priorities: safeguarding intellectual property rights and … Read More >>

An IPR Strategy to Keep India’s Innovative Economy Moving Forward

Nov 2, 2012 in Global Markets, Intellectual Property

India is well on its way to developing a world-class IT sector. For example, on the strength of its dynamic human capital and extensive investments in research and development, it leapt 10 ranking positions in the 2011 edition of the 66-nation IT Industry Competitiveness Index, created for BSA by the Economist Intelligence Unit. But India … Read More >>