The rights afforded to copyright holders are aligned with “laissez-faire capitalism” and shouldn’t confer the sense of a “monopoly” on content creators, said George Ford, Phoenix Center chief economist, in a paper Wednesday (http://bit.ly/1qwlwZI). It responded to claims by some conservative copyright scholars who believe current copyright regulations are antithetical to free market capitalism, said a Phoenix Center news release (http://bit.ly/1pOqNMR). Some conservatives are divided over whether copyright is a traditional property right or a government privilege (WID May 14 p1). “A landowner has a ‘monopoly’ right over his or her land, but this ‘monopoly’ right conveys no real market power,” wrote Ford. “The term ‘monopoly’ in the context of copyright is merely referring to an exclusive property right over an item with possibly thousands of close substitutes,” he said. “Its use does not imply the presence of market power."
The Commerce Department is letting South Korean industry off the hook with its decision in February to not suspend liquidation or impose antidumping duty cash deposit requirements on South Korean oil country tubular goods, said industry witnesses and Democratic lawmakers at a June 25 Senate Finance Committee hearing on trade enforcement in U.S. trade policy. South Korean firms did not dump the steel products, typically used for ocean and land energy extraction projects, said Commerce in a preliminary ruling (see 14061921). Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have roundly rejected the Commerce decision over recent months, saying egregious dumping is damaging U.S. industry (see 14061921).
China, India, Russia and Switzerland’s “continuing problems” with copyright protections landed the nations on the newly renamed Congressional International Creativity and Theft-Prevention Caucus Watch List (http://bit.ly/1nAbgNs) for 2014, said the caucus co-chairmen on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Co-chairmen are Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Reps. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif. The caucus, formerly known as the Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus, changed its name because piracy “conveys an image of adventure,” but piracy is “downright theft,” said Goodlatte, who hinted at the name change earlier this year (WID May 5 p8). Italy and the Philippines were highlighted in the report as “countries making progress” on copyright safeguards. The caucus highlighted a report (http://bit.ly/1qoaesQ) by the Digital Citizens Alliance (DCA) on ad-supported online theft (WID June 18 p14). Congress and stakeholders fighting piracy “need to be as organized” as the “criminals,” said DCA Executive Director Tom Galvin at the event.
China, India, Russia and Switzerland’s "continuing problems" with copyright protections landed the nations on the newly renamed Congressional International Creativity and Theft-Prevention Caucus Watch List for 2014, said the caucus co-chairmen on Capitol Hill June 24. The Co-chairmen are Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Reps. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif. The caucus, formerly known as the Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus, changed its name because piracy “conveys an image of adventure,” but piracy is “downright theft,” said Goodlatte, who hinted at the name change earlier this year. Italy and the Philippines were highlighted in the report as “countries making progress” on copyright safeguards. The caucus highlighted a report (here) by the Digital Citizens Alliance (DCA) on ad-supported online theft. Congress and stakeholders fighting piracy “need to be as organized” as the “criminals,” said DCA Executive Director Tom Galvin at the event.
The FCC asked for comment on a Land Mobile Communications Council proposal that the agency extend conditional licensing authority to applicants for Part 90 site-based licenses in the 470-512 MHz and 800/900 MHz bands. But the Wireless and Public Safety bureaus refused to give LMCC a waiver it also sought pending the completion of a rulemaking (http://bit.ly/1nx8Ted). The LMCC asked for the change in a May 15 petition, arguing that it would provide greater flexibility for applicants “without compromising the quality of service available in T-Band or in the 800/900 MHz bands” (http://bit.ly/V64jw2). If approved, applicants could start using the spectrum while their applications are before the FCC, provided certain conditions are met, the LMCC said. The bureaus said Monday most applicants seeking a new station or to modify an existing public land mobile radio (PLMR) station below 470 MHz are permitted to operate the proposed station during the application’s pendency for a period of up to 180 days, stating 10 days after the application is submitted to the commission. This flexibility is not allowed for applicants in the PLMR bands above 470 MHz. LMCC said in its petition the distinction no longer makes sense. Comments are due July 23, replies Aug. 7.
CBP issued a guidance outlining multiple scenarios and the proper procedures for industry to deal with possible port disruptions related to labor contract disputes on the West coast. CBP "in conjunction with trade stakeholders, has established procedures for a possible West coast trade disruption that could cause major delays and diversions of vessel cargo arriving and departing from West coast ports," the agency said. The procedures will only be in effect in the event of a port disruption and CBP will publish notices when they go into effect and when normal processing resumes, it said.
House Majority Leader-elect Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., flatly rejected reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank during June 22 remarks on Fox News Sunday. The last reauthorization of the credit agency directed the administration to "wind down" the bank and pressure other countries to move to eliminate their state credit agency counterparts, said McCarthy. Ex-Im Bank is "something that government doesn’t have to be involved in," said McCarthy. "It’s something that the private sector can be able to do."
Brownsville, Texas’s request for a three-day delay in filing a notification of intent to upgrade its system was granted as de minimis by an FCC Public Safety Bureau order released Wednesday (http://bit.ly/1kOvtft). Brownsville’s Public Safety Land Mobile Station, Call Sign WQLR527, is subject to relocation as part of the FCC’s 800 MHz rebanding, the order said. Brownsville said it provided a cost estimate for the rebanding of its system to Sprint on May 12, but did not notify Sprint of its intent to upgrade its system until May 15, the order said.
Democratic and Republican House members asked the GAO to conduct a study of communications services on tribal lands. “We're deeply concerned by the lack of access to communications services in Tribal communities and the barriers this presents to education, public safety, and economic development,” said a Wednesday letter (http://1.usa.gov/1jzjym2) signed by Communications Subcommittee ranking member Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., along with Reps. Tom Cole, R-Okla., and Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., and Don Young, R-Alaska. They asked about efforts at various levels to collect data on communications availability, “including fixed and mobile broadband, wireline and wireless phone service, and radio and television broadcast service,” as well as programs that help in promoting the deployment of such infrastructure and service adoption. They also request a list of “challenges that exist to increasing telecommunications subscribership rates for residents on Tribal lands and recommendations for addressing those barriers.”
Democratic and Republican House members asked the GAO to conduct a study of communications services on tribal lands. “We're deeply concerned by the lack of access to communications services in Tribal communities and the barriers this presents to education, public safety, and economic development,” said a Wednesday letter (http://1.usa.gov/1jzjym2) signed by Communications Subcommittee ranking member Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., along with Reps. Tom Cole, R-Okla., and Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., and Don Young, R-Alaska. They asked about efforts at various levels to collect data on communications availability, “including fixed and mobile broadband, wireline and wireless phone service, and radio and television broadcast service,” as well as programs that help in promoting the deployment of such infrastructure and service adoption. They also request a list of “challenges that exist to increasing telecommunications subscribership rates for residents on Tribal lands and recommendations for addressing those barriers.”