COVID-19 lockdowns, first in China, then California, forced professional audio supplier Millennia Music & Media Systems to delay introducing its high-dynamic range audio technology by about six months to early January, emailed founder John La Grou Sunday. His application for the HDR-A trademark (see 1909150001) sailed through the Patent and Trademark Office in just over seven months, landing a registration certificate April 7. La Grou won’t discuss HDR-A until its formal introduction because he regards it as “stealth technology,” he said. Millennia, based in Diamond Springs, California, has been in lockdown since mid-March, scheduled to reopen Monday, said La Grou. His county’s shelter-in-place order expired Friday for “stage 2" nonessential manufacturing businesses like Millennia, “but getting everyone back to work won't happen until the 18th,” he said. “Sales are currently down around 20-30%.” His company got a Paycheck Protection Program loan under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, “but will only use about 1/2 of it, the other half will be returned to Treasury,” he said. “It's a timing issue.” A PPP loan converts to a grant after eight weeks if the funds are used toward payroll to bring furloughed employees back to work. The “8-wk shelf life is from date of receipt, NOT the date people return to work,” said La Grou. A “bureaucratic oversight” by the Small Business Administration, he said. “Long term nobody knows” when sales will recover, he said. “We're in the entertainment business (shows, studios, live events, etc.), which are all hit hard by CV19, so we may be in for a long slow period.”

COVID-19 lockdowns, first in China, then California, forced professional audio supplier Millennia Music & Media Systems to delay introducing its high-dynamic range audio technology by about six months to early January, emailed founder John La Grou Sunday. His application for the HDR-A trademark (see 1909150001) sailed through the Patent and Trademark Office in just over seven months, landing a registration certificate April 7. La Grou won’t discuss HDR-A until its formal introduction because he regards it as “stealth technology,” he said. Millennia, based in Diamond Springs, California, has been in lockdown since mid-March, scheduled to reopen Monday, said La Grou. His county’s shelter-in-place order expired Friday for “stage 2" nonessential manufacturing businesses like Millennia, “but getting everyone back to work won't happen until the 18th,” he said. “Sales are currently down around 20-30%.” His company got a Paycheck Protection Program loan under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, “but will only use about 1/2 of it, the other half will be returned to Treasury,” he said. “It's a timing issue.” A PPP loan converts to a grant after eight weeks if the funds are used toward payroll to bring furloughed employees back to work. The “8-wk shelf life is from date of receipt, NOT the date people return to work,” said La Grou. A “bureaucratic oversight” by the Small Business Administration, he said. “Long term nobody knows” when sales will recover, he said. “We're in the entertainment business (shows, studios, live events, etc.), which are all hit hard by CV19, so we may be in for a long slow period.”

Sonos and Tile landed List 4 tariff exclusions for wireless devices imported from China under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule’s 8517.62.0090 subheading. Sonos won exemption for its wireless mesh network audio components. Tile’s exclusion was for a Bluetooth tracking device that meshes with a smartphone app for finding misplaced keys and other common household articles. The exclusions are retroactive to Sept. 1 when List 4 took effect and expire Sept. 1. About 50 exclusion requests were filed for 8517.62.0090 goods, mostly for Bluetooth devices, of which 45 remained in a stage 1 or stage 2 administrative hold when we checked the docket Monday. Sonos landed an exemption on its wireless network speakers in March, as did the Apple Watch and Fitness activity trackers.

Sonos and Tile landed List 4 tariff exclusions for wireless devices imported from China under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule’s 8517.62.0090 subheading. Sonos won exemption for its wireless mesh network audio components. Tile’s exclusion was for a Bluetooth tracking device that meshes with a smartphone app for finding misplaced keys and other common household articles. The exclusions are retroactive to Sept. 1 when List 4 took effect and expire Sept. 1. About 50 exclusion requests were filed for 8517.62.0090 goods, mostly for Bluetooth devices, of which 45 remained in a stage 1 or stage 2 administrative hold when we checked the docket Monday. Sonos landed an exemption on its wireless network speakers in March, as did the Apple Watch and Fitness activity trackers.

COVID-19 lockdowns, first in China, then California, forced professional audio supplier Millennia Music & Media Systems to delay introducing its high-dynamic range audio technology by about six months to early January, emailed founder John La Grou Sunday. His application for the HDR-A trademark (see 1909150001) sailed through the Patent and Trademark Office in just over seven months, landing a registration certificate April 7. La Grou won’t discuss HDR-A until its formal introduction because he regards it as “stealth technology,” he said. Millennia, based in Diamond Springs, California, has been in lockdown since mid-March, scheduled to reopen Monday, said La Grou. His county’s shelter-in-place order expired Friday for “stage 2" nonessential manufacturing businesses like Millennia, “but getting everyone back to work won't happen until the 18th,” he said. “Sales are currently down around 20-30%.” His company got a Paycheck Protection Program loan under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, “but will only use about 1/2 of it, the other half will be returned to Treasury,” he said. “It's a timing issue.” A PPP loan converts to a grant after eight weeks if the funds are used toward payroll to bring furloughed employees back to work. The “8-wk shelf life is from date of receipt, NOT the date people return to work,” said La Grou. A “bureaucratic oversight” by the Small Business Administration, he said. “Long term nobody knows” when sales will recover, he said. “We're in the entertainment business (shows, studios, live events, etc.), which are all hit hard by CV19, so we may be in for a long slow period.”

New language in the FCC's draft regulatory fees order on the agenda for when commissioners meet Wednesday (see 2004220048) might provide some rate relief for VHF satellites and foreign satellites that ping U.S. customers but don't have U.S. market access, but still would broadly levy U.S. regulatory fees on foreign-flagged satellites. That's according to satellite experts and an FCC official interviewed last week. Some consider 5-0 commissioner approval likely. Foreign satellite operators resisted the fee (see 2003240047), saying the issue needs more study.

The California Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously to provide $5 million from the California Advanced Services Fund adoption account to public schools and school districts in response to COVID-19 (see 2004200041). The draft order was adopted Thursday as part of the consent agenda at the livestreamed meeting conducted by videoconference with dial-in public comments. CPUC members also unanimously adopted a resolution to send nearly $11 million from the CASF infrastructure fund to a middle-mile broadband project covering tribal lands in Humboldt County. Policymakers should treat broadband as a basic utility and seek to empower local government and tribal solutions, said Commissioner Martha Aceves Guzman. In Minnesota, Sen. Patricia Torres Ray (D) introduced SF-4580 to spend $8 million on distance-learning grants this fiscal year. Minnesota senators passed SF-4494 earlier this week (see 2005050008). The House version of SF-4494 is HF-3029, but the chamber also proposed HF-1507, including $15 million for education, plus the same telehealth and rural broadband funding as the other bills.

The California Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously to provide $5 million from the California Advanced Services Fund adoption account to public schools and school districts in response to COVID-19 (see 2004200041). The draft order was adopted Thursday as part of the consent agenda at the livestreamed meeting conducted by videoconference with dial-in public comments. CPUC members also unanimously adopted a resolution to send nearly $11 million from the CASF infrastructure fund to a middle-mile broadband project covering tribal lands in Humboldt County. Policymakers should treat broadband as a basic utility and seek to empower local government and tribal solutions, said Commissioner Martha Aceves Guzman. In Minnesota, Sen. Patricia Torres Ray (D) introduced SF-4580 to spend $8 million on distance-learning grants this fiscal year. Minnesota senators passed SF-4494 earlier this week (see 2005050008). The House version of SF-4494 is HF-3029, but the chamber also proposed HF-1507, including $15 million for education, plus the same telehealth and rural broadband funding as the other bills.

The FCC’s 900 MHz order, set for a vote Wednesday, is expected to be approved with the full support of commissioners and few changes, if any, agency and industry officials said. The order would reallocate a 6 MHz swath to broadband while keeping 4 MHz for narrowband. The commissioners’ meeting will be brief, with items approved beforehand and no oral statements, the agency announced Wednesday evening.

A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the Commerce Department posted to CBP's website May 5 along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at CBP's ADD CVD Search page.