WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 24, 2012) The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the principal trade association for the software and digital content industries, today unveiled the first-ever Peter E. Jackson Innovation Award and presented it to Brewster Kahle, digital librarian and founder of the Internet Archive. The Peter E. Jackson Innovation Award honors the late Thomson Reuters vice president and chief scientist, and his profound impact on the B2B publishing industry. Dr. Jackson was an active board member of the SIIA Content Division.
“SIIA created the Peter E. Jackson Innovation Award to recognize individuals who are an inspiration to the entire digital content industry,” said Kathy Greenler Sexton, interim Vice President of the SIIA Content Division. “Brewster Kahle is an industry pioneer who has dedicated his career to philanthropy and efforts to improve and preserve digital content.
“Because of Brewster’s work, the Internet Archive now offers a staggering 85 billion pieces of web geology,” continued Sexton. “His unyielding vision and creativity has made it possible for our society to chronicle the growth of the Internet and continually celebrate the lasting impact of digital content. In the same spirit as Dr. Jackson, Brewster has demonstrated tremendous commitment to advancing digital media, and in doing so, has been an inspiration to so many of us.”
The Peter E. Jackson Innovation Award was given to Kahle during the SIIA’s annual CODiE Awards dinner, held in conjunction with the Information Industry Summit. In addition to the award, a donation of $1,000 will be made in Kahle’s name to the Peter Jackson Fund for Keyboard and Guitar at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis. The Peter Jackson Fund for Keyboard and Guitar recognizes the profound impact of music on Dr. Jackson’s life by providing music lessons for disadvantaged children.
Beyond his achievements with the Internet Archive, Kahle has worked in other areas of digital content and technology, including the Open Content Alliance, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the GNU Project. His academic studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) were in the area of artificial intelligence—an area of interest also shared by Dr. Jackson.
About SIIA
The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry. SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education and intellectual property protection for more than 500 leading software and information companies. For further information, visit www.siia.net
About SIIA’s Content Division
SIIA's Content Division provides a forum for companies that publish and distribute online content, or offer technologies and services that facilitate the licensing, presentation, and distribution of digital information products. The division works with its members to develop effective approaches to emerging issues and to produce deliverables of special interest to the membership.
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