On September 23, 2009, the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea, known as the Rotterdam Rules1, was signed by 16 countries.
AT&T asked the FCC to investigate “call blocking” by Google Voice and to treat that company and other new phone service providers the same as traditional telcos. AT&T said Google Voice and others also should be covered by a June 2007 Wireline Bureau order prohibiting “self help actions such as call blocking.” Google replied that Google Voice is fundamentally different from AT&T voice service.
The FCC asked Wednesday how it could lower barriers to bringing broadband to tribal lands. “An initial problem in addressing these issues is the current lack of data on the extent of broadband deployment and adoption on Tribal lands,” the commission said in its latest notice seeking comment for the national broadband plan. The FCC wants quantitative data, studies or analyses about the tribal deployment, “focused comment” on how to promote broadband in Indian Country, and suggestions of how to include tribal lands better in broadband mapping. The commission also wants to know how to spur adoption by tribes and whether it should use pilot programs or other ways to encourage broadband providers to enter tribal markets. Comments are due Nov. 9, replies Dec. 9.
The FCC asked Wednesday how it could lower barriers to getting broadband to tribal lands. “An initial problem in addressing these issues is the current lack of data on the extent of broadband deployment and adoption on Tribal lands,” the commission said in its latest notice seeking comment for the national broadband plan. The FCC wants quantitative data, studies or analyses about the tribal deployment, “focused comment” on how to promote broadband in Indian Country, and suggestions of how to include tribal lands better in broadband mapping. The commission also wants to know how to spur adoption by tribes and whether it should use pilot programs or other ways to encourage broadband providers to enter tribal markets. Comments are due Nov. 9, replies Dec. 9.
On August 6, 2009, Senate Finance Committee leaders Baucus (D) and Grassley (R) introduced the "Customs Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Reauthorization Act of 2009" (S.1631).
A Web site can’t enforce a “browsewrap” agreement on a customer unless it can show the customer was notified of the agreement, U.S. District Judge Sterling Johnson in Brooklyn, N.Y., ruled in Hines v. Overstock.com. The case centers on customer Cynthia Hines’ challenge to the discount e-tailer’s assessment of a “restocking fee” on a purchase she returned. Hines said she wasn’t notified that by visiting Overstock.com she accepted its terms and conditions, including the fee, linked from the bottom of its Web pages. Overstock filed a motion to dismiss or stay for arbitration, or alternatively move the case to Utah, based on a forum-selection provision in the terms. But Johnson said the link to the company’s terms wasn’t enough to make them binding on Hines. Overstock failed to show a “meeting of the minds” with Hines through its browsewrap agreement, which unlike a clickwrap agreement doesn’t require a user to click an “I agree” box, Johnson said. Precedent from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, whose territory includes Brooklyn, provides that Web sites can’t enforce terms on visitors, even when they make a purchase, if they aren’t given “constructive notice” of terms, the ruling said. Scrolling to the bottom of the screen wasn’t necessary for Hines to make her purchase, and the site didn’t provide a landing-page warning that visitors accepted its terms by clicking through, Johnson said. “Very little is required to form a contract nowadays -- but this alone does not suffice.” He declined to transfer the case to Utah, citing the buried terms and conditions. Since Hines lives in the court’s jurisdiction, and Overstock is an e- commerce company, it can’t claim a hardship from having to litigate in Brooklyn, Johnson said. “Most if not all of the documents” to be produced in discovery “will be readily available electronically.”
The Alfred Mann Foundation urged the FCC to take quick action on its proposal for a 20 MHz allocation in the 413-457 MHz band for wirelessly connecting neuromuscular microstimulators implanted in patients who suffer from brain and spinal cord injuries and neuromuscular disorders. In March, the commission approved rules to set up a new Medical Device Radiocommunication Service in the 401-402 and 405-406 MHz bands, and also sought comment on the AMF proposal for a medical micropower network allocation.
ATLANTA -- Sonance parent company Dana Innovations has unveiled a line of design-oriented custom installation kits that reshape the look of electrical outlets, cable ports, keypads, lighting controls and other standard household electrical fixtures. The products fall under the name Trufig, which will operate as a subsidiary separate from sister firms Sonance and iPort.
A special ITU-R group added draft interference protection criteria for a possible recommendation on broadband over powerline. The exact protection criteria for certain bands below 72 MHz is yet to be determined. Other draft protection criteria limit the increase in the total noise floor at less than 0.5 dB for certain amateur bands between 1.8 and 70 MHz. The same protection criteria are listed for the aeronautical mobile, land mobile, maritime mobile, radiolocation and fixed services, but the frequencies haven’t been determined. Protection criteria were also developed for radio astronomy for certain frequencies between 13.41 and 74.6 MHz. Future draft text will include examples of national regulation, technical and operational restrictions from Japan, Korea, Brazil, Germany, U.S. and possibly others.
Toshiba chipsets for in-car HD Radio reception were approved by licensor iBiquity Digital, the companies said Thursday. That will give OEMs that make HD Radios a bigger selection of components, and therefore ultimately reduce receiver prices to car makers and consumers, they said. HD Radio chipsets for auto sound have been available only from NXP and Sanyo Semiconductor, iBiquity said. HD Radio is now offered as a factory-installed feature or dealer add-on on some models from Audi, BMW, Ford, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercedes, Mini, Mercury, Scion and Volvo. HD Radio generally is included in rental and corporate-fleet cars. The feature also is offered in home AV receivers from some vendors. What had been missing until lately were portable, battery-powered HD Radios. Best Buy released the industry’s first portable at $49 in July under its Insignia store brand.