The Washington File reports that the U.S. and South Korea will open negotiations on a comprehensive bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) to remove tariff and nontariff barriers and expand trade between the countries. The talks are expected to begin in or around May 2006 after a consultation period. (Washington File Pub 02/03/06, available at http://usinfo.state.gov/usinfo/Archive/2006/Feb/02-508129.html)
On February 1, 2006, the House of Representatives passed the Senate-amended conference version of S. 1932, the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.
The Washington File reports that a preliminary decision by a World Trade Organization (WTO) panel on the U.S. challenge of the European Union (EU) moratorium on approvals for crops derived from biotechnology is expected around February 1st. According to the Washington File, Argentina and Canada also joined the U.S. in challenging the EU moratorium. (Washington File Pub 01/26/06, available at http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=January&x=20060126123445AKllennoCcM0.5482599&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html.)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted an updated version of its list of answers to questions submitted by the trade community at its November 2005 Trade Symposium which is posted to CBP's Web site.
Senate Commerce Committee Chmn. Stevens (R-Alaska) wants to move “as quickly as possible” to hearings on legislation to guard consumer phone record privacy, he told media Tues. after a hearing on broadcast flag legislation. Stevens’ statement came as Verizon Wireless filed suit in N.J. against owners of data brokering firm Locatecell.com. And in several states attorneys gen. are moving against data brokers for improperly selling cell and other phone records, as the FCC and FTC run their own investigation (CD Jan 24 p1).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has again revised its Trade Update for Hurricane Katrina. Among other things, CBP's new Trade Update provides new contact information for certain CBP offices and employees and also contains new information concerning entry summary filing.
ISP and telco resistance to policing infringements on copyright hurts the digital music market, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) said Thurs. In its Digital Music Report 2006, IFPI said the recording industry wants more efforts to force service providers to ensure copyright is respected, IFPI said. Despite the lack of cooperation, 2005 was the year in which legitimate digital music finally took off, the group said.
ISP and telco resistance to policing infringements on copyright hurts the digital music market, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) said Thurs. In its Digital Music Report 2006, IFPI said the recording industry wants more efforts to force service providers to ensure copyright is respected, IFPI said. Despite the lack of cooperation, 2005 was the year in which legitimate digital music finally took off, the group said.
The creator of the defunct i2hub file-sharing network is in trouble with students who are in trouble with the RIAA for sharing copyrighted music on the network, designed to exploit a juiced Internet2 network linking universities. U. of Mass.-Amherst student Wayne Chang, now on academic leave, set up the network and touted it on campus and online. Last spring, hundreds of UMass students who used the network were slammed with content industry lawsuits (WID April 12 p1). Months later, after a cease-and-desist order, Chang shut down i2hub (WID Nov 23 p9).
The Mo. Supreme Court upheld a PSC refusal to let rural incumbent telcos apply intrastate access charges to wireless-originated calls terminating in the same major trading area (MTA), reversing a 2004 appellate court ruling against the PSC. The state’s highest court in Case SC86529 said the FCC in its orders implementing reciprocal compensation provisions of the 1996 Telecom Act made a clear finding that wireless calls completed within an MTA are local and calls completed outside the MTA are long distance. The court said lack of a local interconnection pact between a wireless and a landline carrier is irrelevant, given the clear distinction the FCC draws between intraMTA calls and other calls. In another matter, the Mo. PSC refused to reconsider a Dec. denial of a motion by the Office of Public Counsel to reject tariffs filed by the state’s 5 largest interexchange carriers that impose or increase intrastate access recovery charges as separate line items on bills. The PSC said the OPC petition (Case TT-2002-129) restated arguments rejected in the tariff review.