Porn industry trade group Free Speech Coalition filed a constitutional challenge to federal rules for maintenance of records on adult performers and those who engage in “simulated” sexual activity. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia concerns the so-called 2257 and 2257A rules, promulgated by the Justice Department at the tail end of the George W. Bush administration to comply with the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act (WID Dec 29 p1). Other plaintiffs include “mainstream media” photographers, a photographer and photojournalist trade group, sex educators and sexologists, journalists, and adult producers, performers and distributors, the coalition said. The Supreme Court’s decision not to review a previous case concerning the 2257 rules, Connection v. Holder, spurred the challenge, the group said. The rules “impose heavy and unnecessary burdens on constitutionally protected expression” by many segments of society, said plaintiffs’ lawyer Michael Murray. Coalition Executive Director Diane Duke called on the new Justice Department to “clean up this constitutional mess. We plan on holding their feet to the fire the entire way.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has updated and expanded its frequently asked question document on its interim final rule that amended 19 CFR effective January 26, 2009, to require Security Filing (SF) information from importers and additional information from carriers (10+2) for vessel (maritime) cargo before it is brought into the U.S.
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls has issued a notice announcing that effective immediately, DSP license applicants must file for a replacement license when making amendments to a DSP license (DSP-6, 62, 74 and 119) for value or quantity changes.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has updated and expanded its frequently asked question document on its interim final rule that amended 19 CFR effective January 26, 2009, to require Security Filing (SF) information from importers and additional information from carriers (10+2) for vessel (maritime) cargo before it is brought into the U.S.
CBP has issued a CSMS message stating that in an ongoing effort to improve the processing of Importer Security Filing (ISF) transactions, CBP has modified the CATAIR, CAMIR, and X-12 309 stand-alone transaction sets to more clearly explain in detail what the requirements are and how data is to be transmitted. (CSMS 09-000322, dated 10/01/09, available at http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/viewmssg.asp?Recid=17715&page=&srch_argv=09-000322&srchtype=all&btype=&sortby=&sby)
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls has updated its guidance on the licensing of foreign persons employed by a U.S. person to provide clarification on certain requirements for DSP-83s, foreign persons authorized by DSP-5/DSP-85s, and Non-Disclosure Agreements.
The peer-to-peer industry’s trade group isn’t unreservedly in favor of FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s net-neutrality rulemaking. Distributed Computing Industry Association (DCIA) CEO Marty Lafferty said over the weekend he had been flooded with questions about the group’s stance. The association “strongly supports” the two new principles of nondiscrimination and disclosure, he said, and the four current principles “should be applied immediately on a case-by-case basis in relatively mature and developed broadband environments, such as DSL and cable modem.” But the group is worried that the “inherent stringency of detailed rule-making based on these principles could freeze innovation in areas of rapid technological advancement and change.” Nearly echoing the content industry, Lafferty said that “premature government regulation could actually be detrimental to the preservation and maintenance of a free and open Internet.” The rulemaking should focus on allowing for “continued experimentation” in areas where new business models haven’t taken hold, rather than “enforcement aimed at protecting old models,” he said. He proposed reconsideration of copyright laws after “new revenue streams have been defined,” not settling “for mere coexistence with [regulatory] rules that are no longer adequate or applicable.” Lafferty called for context-specific application of the FCC principles depending on network capacity constraints, usage patterns and market competition on different platforms, such as wireless and wireline. In assailing ISPs’ blocking VoIP and P2P applications, Genachowski seemingly ignored business efforts to relieve the concerns of ISPs about bandwidth consumption, Lafferty said - - such as the DCIA’s P4P Working Group, involving about 100 ISPs and P2P companies. The new protocol, which improves the efficiency of file-sharing by connecting users near each other, is in commercial deployment by ISPs around the world, he said. The FCC principles, case-by-case enforcement and voluntary efforts “will yield more progress than the rigidity of a static regime bound in conventional rule-making and enforcement procedures.”
The International Trade Commission has announced the institution of investigations and the commencement of preliminary phase antidumping and countervailing duty injury investigations regarding certain sodium and potassium phosphate salts from China.
The International Trade Commission has announced the institution of investigations and the commencement of preliminary phase antidumping and countervailing duty injury investigations regarding certain coated paper suitable for high-quality print graphics using sheet-fed presses from China and Indonesia.
The International Trade Commission has announced the institution of investigations and the commencement of preliminary phase antidumping and countervailing duty injury investigations regarding certain standard steel fasteners from China and Taiwan.