The International Trade Commission voted to begin a Tariff Act Section 337 investigation into alleged patent infringement by DVRs and set-top boxes with interactive program guides and video recording technology for use with Comcast cable systems, the ITC said in a Monday news release. Rovi requested the investigation in a complaint filed April 6, saying Comcast “built its interactive cable business on the back of Rovi’s technology” as a licensee, “refuses to renew [Rovi's] license on acceptable terms” and continues to sell and lease products that copy Rovi’s technology and compete with Rovi products. The ITC will consider whether to issue a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders banning import and sale of infringing set-tops by Arris, Comcast and Technicolor, the agency said. Arris declined to comment Tuesday, and a Technicolor spokesman had no immediate comment. Comcast disagrees "with Rovi’s accusations and intend[s] to defend the cases vigorously," said a spokeswoman for the cable company.
The following appeals of Court of International Trade decisions were filed at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit during the week of May 16-22:
The FCC set-top box proposal is a threat to consumer cybersecurity, goes far beyond the will of Congress and can't accomplish what the agency says it can, said recent filings from legislators, trade groups and companies in docket 16-42. Monday was the deadline for reply comments, and a rule is expected to be issued this summer, industry officials have told us. Only some replies were available Monday. The decision essentially has been written already, disregarding all the industry objections to the proposal, said downloadable security company Beyond Broadband Technology. “Efforts to explain and navigate through the difficult issues raised by the 'proposed' rules are a waste of time and effort.”
The FCC set-top box proposal is a threat to consumer cybersecurity, goes far beyond the will of Congress and can't accomplish what the agency says it can, said recent filings from legislators, trade groups and companies in docket 16-42. Monday was the deadline for reply comments, and a rule is expected to be issued this summer, industry officials have told us. Only some replies were available Monday. The decision essentially has been written already, disregarding all the industry objections to the proposal, said downloadable security company Beyond Broadband Technology. “Efforts to explain and navigate through the difficult issues raised by the 'proposed' rules are a waste of time and effort.”
The FCC set-top box proposal is a threat to consumer cybersecurity, goes far beyond the will of Congress and can't accomplish what the agency says it can, said recent filings from legislators, trade groups and companies in docket 16-42. Monday was the deadline for reply comments, and a rule is expected to be issued this summer, industry officials have told us. Only some replies were available Monday. The decision essentially has been written already, disregarding all the industry objections to the proposal, said downloadable security company Beyond Broadband Technology. “Efforts to explain and navigate through the difficult issues raised by the 'proposed' rules are a waste of time and effort.”
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of May 9-15:
Sprint and Level 3 urged the FCC to "again reiterate" that long-distance companies (inter-exchange carriers or IXCs) don't owe local telephone access charges for so-called intraMTA (major trading area) wireline-wireless traffic. "We showed that the Commission has repeatedly made clear that the 'intraMTA rule' superseded the access charge regime," said a filing Tuesday by a Sprint counsel in docket 14-228. "LECs are only entitled to reciprocal compensation in connection with intraMTA calls and may not impose access charges on other carriers, including IXCs, carrying such calls. We urged the Commission to again reiterate its rule in answering the petition for declaratory ruling filed in this docket by the LEC Coalition." Sprint and Level 3 said it would serve the interests of all parties for the FCC "to reiterate its position" because hundreds of telecom carriers "are about to embark on costly discovery in connection" with a related U.S. district court proceeding. "That discovery is likely to be largely unnecessary once it is established that LECs are not entitled to impose access charges on intraMTA calls. Thus, it is now clear that, if the Commission waits to provide its guidance until the appeal of the recent district court decision, millions of dollars will be wasted," Sprint and Level 3 said. "We also noted that the one point on which the parties agree is that prompt action by the Commission is needed. The LEC Coalition recently 'reiterated its continuing support for its pending Petition for Declaratory Ruling'" (see here). LECs believe they're owed access charges for the intraMTA wireline-wireless traffic. A federal judge in November sided with a LEC motion to dismiss IXC federal claims (see 1511200070), but litigation continues.
Senate Judiciary Privacy Subcommittee Republicans questioned the wisdom of FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s broadband privacy rulemaking and lauded the FTC’s past role overseeing the matter. Wheeler insisted during a Wednesday hearing with top FCC and FTC officials that the FCC has no plans to regulate edge providers and the rules are necessary. He also rejected any attempt to extend the comment deadlines in the proceeding.
Senate Judiciary Privacy Subcommittee Republicans questioned the wisdom of FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s broadband privacy rulemaking and lauded the FTC’s past role overseeing the matter. Wheeler insisted during a Wednesday hearing with top FCC and FTC officials that the FCC has no plans to regulate edge providers and the rules are necessary. He also rejected any attempt to extend the comment deadlines in the proceeding.
The U.S. is claiming that China’s antidumping and countervailing duties on imports of U.S. broiler chickens violate World Trade Organization rules, and plans to file an associated challenge through the multilateral body, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said (here). “These duties, which act as high taxes on American poultry exports to China, have remained despite a WTO report that previously found China to be breaching its WTO obligations,” the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said in a statement. “Now, the United States is challenging these taxes on behalf of American poultry producers and the hundreds of thousands of people employed in the poultry industry.” This is the 12th WTO case the Obama administration has brought against China, said the statement.