Overseas gambling operators who advertise in the U.K. may face new rules, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said Thursday. Rapid technological developments in Internet gambling, and a changing regulatory landscape, mean U.K. operators may not be getting a fair deal, it said. The Remote Gambling Association agreed, but said the exercise won’t be successful unless the government addresses its uncompetitive tax regime. Meanwhile, EU and U.S. lawmakers are pressing for an end to the long-running trade dispute over U.S. anti-gambling laws.
A federal judge is handling very deliberately a request by movie studios to extend her ban on RealNetworks’ RealDVD technology for copying DVDs (WID April 27 p7). With no end to testimony by evening Wednesday -- the last day of three scheduled for a preliminary-injunction hearing in U.S. District Court in San Francisco -- Judge Marilyn Patel set aside May 7 and 8 to resume. There’s no guarantee that the closing arguments can get done by then, both sides said. In testimony this week, RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser showed a prototype livingroom player, code-named “Facet,” to use the RealDVD technology. When Patel issued a temporary restraining order against RealDVD in October, Real had announced plans only to start selling imminently $30 downloads for copying discs to PCs. A Facet owner could copy hundreds of DVDs to the device’s hard drive and easily choose and switch among the movies and TV shows, Glaser testified. He said Real foresaw the Facet, at about $300 retail, as a mass-market alternative to the high-end Kaleidescape media jukebox and a possible source of licensing revenue from original equipment manufacturers of similar boxes. Glaser said Real had held discussions with companies including TiVo, LG and Sharp. He said Real would do what it could to discourage RealDVD users from copying discs they don’t own. He conceded that it couldn’t prevent that without technical cooperation from the studios. Patel has twice closed the hearing, over protests by CNet, for testimony about CSS encryption from the DVD Copy Control Association. It’s vigorously contended that the information qualifies as trade secrets though the protection was broken years ago. The public version of papers filed in the case are replete with blackouts to protect technical information that the association, the studios or Real considers confidential.
A federal judge is handling very deliberately a request by movie studios to extend her ban on RealNetworks’ RealDVD technology for copying DVDs (CED April 27 p7). With no end to testimony by evening Wednesday -- the last day of three scheduled for a preliminary-injunction hearing in U.S. District Court in San Francisco -- Judge Marilyn Patel set aside May 7 and 8 to resume. There’s no guarantee that the closing arguments can get done by then, both sides said. In testimony this week, RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser showed a prototype livingroom player, code-named “Facet,” to use the RealDVD technology. When Patel issued a temporary restraining order against RealDVD in October, Real had announced plans only to start selling imminently $30 downloads for copying discs to PCs. A Facet owner could copy hundreds of DVDs to the device’s hard drive and easily choose and switch among the movies and TV shows, Glaser testified. He said Real foresaw the Facet, at about $300 retail, as a mass-market alternative to the high-end Kaleidescape media jukebox and a possible source of licensing revenue from original equipment manufacturers of similar boxes. Glaser said Real had held discussions with companies including TiVo, LG and Sharp. He said Real would do what it could to discourage RealDVD users from copying discs they don’t own. He conceded that it couldn’t prevent that without technical cooperation from the studios. Patel has twice closed the hearing, over protests by CNet, for testimony about CSS encryption from the DVD Copy Control Association. It’s vigorously contended that the information qualifies as trade secrets though the protection was broken years ago. The public version of papers filed in the case are replete with blackouts to protect technical information that the association, the studios or Real considers confidential.
CBP has posted a notice on the Broker Self-Assessment Outreach Pilot (BSA pilot program) that it recently announced it would be launching. (See ITT's Online Archives or 04/27/09 news, 09042710, for BP summary announcing that CBP is seeking applicants for the BSA pilot.) (Notice, dated 04/27/09, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/trade_programs/bsa/bsa_pilot.xml)
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano recently addressed the Border Trade Alliance's International Conference. Highlights of her written remarks and responses to questions include:
The International Trade Administration is requesting comments on whether it should apply countervailing duty law to imports from Vietnam.
The International Trade Administration has initiated a countervailing duty investigation to determine whether manufacturers, producers, or exporters of polyethylene retail carrier bags in Vietnam receive countervailable subsidies.
CBP has posted a directive prescribing CBP policies and procedures for (1) handling debit vouchers resulting from defaulted Automated Clearinghouse (ACH) payments related to Automated Broker Interface (ABI) statement processing, and (2) administering the removal of an ACH payor that is responsible for defaulted ACH payments. This directive supersedes Directive No. 5310-031A (Directive No. 5310-031B, posted 04/23/09, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/trade/legal/directives/5310_031a.ctt/5310_031a.doc)
The International Trade Administration has initiated administrative reviews of the antidumping and countervailing duty orders below, for certain specified companies listed in the initiation notice.
Activision Blizzard was mum after Scratch DJ Game said Monday that a California Superior Court judge granted it a temporary restraining order in its suit against Activision Publishing over the coming videogame Scratch -- The Ultimate DJ (CED April 16 p2). The plaintiff was ordered to comply with the TRO by close of business Monday, said Scratch DJ Game, a joint venture of Genius Products and pro audio equipment maker Numark Industries. Activision Blizzard didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The court last week ordered 7 Studios, recently acquired by Activision, to turn over to Scratch DJ Game within five days all source code related to the game, including 7 Studio’s pre-existing developer software tools and technology that went into developing the game, Scratch DJ Game said. The developer, which Genius hired to make the game for it long before Activision bought 7 Studios, was also named in the suit, along with 7 Studios CEO Lewis Peterson. Scratch DJ Game accused Activision Publishing of “intentional interference with contractual relationship,” unfair competition and breach of contract, among other things. The court also granted an injunction preventing 7 Studios from disclosing or discussing the game code or Scratch trade secrets with Activision or any other third parties, Scratch DJ Game said Monday. Scratch DJ Game “will aggressively pursue its court case against Activision, 7 Studios and Peterson for damages resulting from their actions to delay and take over the Scratch game,” it also said Monday. Separately, Activision Blizzard said in a filing with the SEC that it amended Chief Financial Officer Thomas Tippl’s employment agreement April 15. The term of Tippl’s employment with the company under the amended agreement will expire April 15, 2014. His annual base salary will initially be $750,000 per year, but will be increased annually “in an amount at least equal to the average percentage increase approved by” the Compensation Committee of the firm’s board, the filing said. Tippl will also be eligible to receive an annual bonus with a target amount of 100 percent of his base salary based upon achievement of certain financial and business objectives determined by the Compensation Committee, it said. Tippl will also receive a grant of 1.2 million stock options and 150,000 shares of restricted stock, as well as a grant of 80,000 performance shares.