The idea of compulsory licenses to compensate copyright holders for file downloads appears to be losing steam. On a panel hosted by the National Journal Fri., Public Knowledge Pres. Gigi Sohn said she now opposed the idea: “I used to be a fan of compulsory licenses, but now I'm worried about getting the government involved… Who would pay these fees?” CEA Pres. Gary Shapiro said the idea was a “nonstarter.” Sohn said similar efforts were failing as levies on digital media in Europe hadn’t worked and had doubled prices.

The idea of compulsory licenses to compensate copyright holders for file downloads appears to be losing steam. On a panel hosted Fri. by the National Journal, Public Knowledge Pres. Gigi Sohn said she now opposed the idea: “I used to be a fan of compulsory licenses, but now I'm worried about getting the government involved… Who would pay these fees?” CEA Pres. Gary Shapiro said the idea was a “nonstarter.” Sohn said similar efforts were failing as levies on digital media in Europe hadn’t worked and had doubled prices.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice inviting comments from interested parties on the International Trade Commission's (ITC's) proposed remedy, and other possible actions, with respect to the market disruption caused by imports of certain ductile iron waterworks fittings from China.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a notice on the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement's (SFTA's) 2004 Tariff Preference Level (TPL) for imports from Singapore of cotton or MMF apparel goods, or apparel goods subject to cotton or MMF restraints, the foregoing that are both cut (or knit-to-shape) and sewn or otherwise assembled in Singapore from fabric or yarn produced or obtained outside the territory of Singapore or of the U.S. ("3rd Country").

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has published a final rule which amends the Customs Regulations effective January 5, 2004 regarding the advance electronic presentation of information pertaining to cargo (sea, air, rail, or truck) prior to its being brought into, or sent from, the U.S. (See final rule for compliance dates for each transportation mode.)

Two former Clinton Administration officials were credited last month with saving a rural broadband loan program, but due to a shortage of funds among the effort’s beneficiaries, their lobbying efforts were performed free of charge. Former NTIA Dir. Greg Rohde and former Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Dir. Christopher McLean in 2003 grossed more than $200,000 from companies involved in rural broadband issues, Rohde revealed last week in lobbying disclosure filings with the Secy. of the Senate. However, he told us that the lobbying he did in the Senate to save the RUS broadband program was done pro bono, as the lead entity in the effort, the Wireless Communications Assn. International (WCAI), couldn’t afford to pay them, a difficulty confirmed by WCAI Pres. Andrew Kreig.

Verizon won a major turnaround Fri. in its suit against the RIAA as the U.S. Appeals Court, D.C., agreed the ISP needn’t comply with subpoenas to identify suspected peer-to- peer file sharers. Chief Judge Douglas Ginsburg wrote the 3- 0 opinion. It overturned the U.S. Dist. Court, D.C., which had ruled Sec. 512(h) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) required ISPs to comply with subpoenas from copyright owners, even if the ISPs weren’t storing infringing content on their servers. Ginsberg granted Verizon’s request to stay the Dist. Court ruling. The other judges were John Roberts and Ann Williams.

Verizon won a major reversal Fri. in its suit against the RIAA, as the U.S. Appeals Court, D.C., agreed with the ISP that it needn’t comply with subpoenas on information on suspected peer-to-peer file sharers.

The Mont. Supreme Court ruled that utilities and other businesses don’t enjoy a blanket right to privacy under the state constitution. The court rejected NorthWestern Energy’s contention that material it filed at state PSC’s behest was automatically entitled to privacy protection. The court said the state constitution’s framers never intended to give privacy rights to “nonhuman entities.” Although involving an energy utility, the court’s ruling also applies to telecom companies and other entities regulated by the PSC. The court said utilities can keep sensitive information secret by seeking specific confidentiality protection, but they have no blanket right to have filings shielded. The case arose when several Mont. newspapers requested details of certain of power purchase contracts. The PSC in 2001 denied access, citing privacy. The court ruled that the PSC can’t presume utilities have a right to confidentiality. The presumption is that utilities’ filings are open unless the utility can show a particular filing involved trade secrets or property rights that required protection, the court said.

State regulators remain tangled with vexing procedural questions that must be settled before they can come to grips with the market impairment analysis cases required by the FCC’s Triennial Review Order (TRO), officials said. In actions in the last week, states were considering whether they had enough evidence to conduct cases, deciding on splitting cases into phases and ruling on discovery issues.