Foreign telecom carriers vigorously disputed allegations CompTel/Ascent Alliance and AT&T filed in comments (CD Jan 8 p2) to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) this month. The comments were part of USTR’s annual review of the operation and effectiveness of all U.S. trade agreements on telecom products and services. The foreign operators complained U.S. commenters in many cases had used outdated data and hadn’t said anything new. “We do not feel that CompTel/Ascent has added new material arguments to its prior allegations,” Deutsche Telekom (DT) said.
Wireless experts said the FCC’s new secondary markets rules for spectrum move in the right direction for opening up leasing arrangements. But at an FCBA Wireless Committee seminar late Wed., lawyers and top brass of spectrum trading companies said the Commission still must work out issues such as how designated entities would be treated and how lessees could be protected against bankruptcy.
According to Journal of Commerce Online, as part of the Democratic response to President Bush's State of the Union address, House Minority Leader Pelosi called for the physical inspection of all ocean containers entering the U.S., charging that the Bush administration's inspection standard is too low to protect the U.S. from terrorism. (JoC Online, 01/21/04, www.joc.com )
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.