Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the hacking of IT systems associated with the Democratic National Committee and the campaign of former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton as part of “an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at” the U.S. presidential election, said U.S. intelligence agencies at our deadline Friday in an unclassified report. Intelligence officials briefed President-elect Donald Trump Friday on a classified version of the report. Intelligence officials also briefed top congressional leaders Friday on the classified report.
Jimm Phillips
Jimm Phillips, Associate Editor, covers telecommunications policymaking in Congress for Communications Daily. He joined Warren Communications News in 2012 after stints at the Washington Post and the American Independent News Network. Phillips is a Maryland native who graduated from American University. You can follow him on Twitter: @JLPhillipsDC
A Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday focused almost as much on validating the U.S. intelligence community's assessment that Russia masterminded the hacking of U.S. entities' IT systems aimed at affecting the outcome of the 2016 presidential election as it did on how to counter the cyberthreat posed by Russia and other foreign state actors. The hearing came amid renewed criticism and doubt from President-elect Donald Trump about intelligence agencies' assessment that Russia provided WikiLeaks with hacked emails from officials at the Democratic National Committee and the campaign of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (see 1701040066). The hearing had been expected to focus primarily on the Russia-led hacks (see 1612300032), though committee members and intelligence officials also highlighted the threat posed by China, Iran and North Korea.
The Society of European Stage Authors and Composers’ pending sale to private equity firm Blackstone is unlikely to affect the performing rights organization’s priorities but does renew questions about the PRO’s future placement within the music industry hierarchy, industry lawyers said in interviews. Private equity firm Rizvi Traverse Management said Wednesday it’s selling its majority stake in SESAC but didn’t disclose the financial terms. The sale is expected to close in Q1, Blackstone said. Rizvi bought a controlling 75 percent interest in SESAC in 2013 for $600 million.
The Cross Community Working Group on Enhancing ICANN Accountability's ongoing debate about how to address the organization's post-Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) transition jurisdiction is again raising U.S. stakeholders' eyebrows, several said in interviews. CCWG-Accountability is tackling ICANN's jurisdictional issues as part of its work on a second set of recommended changes to the organization's accountability mechanisms (see 1610030042). The working group postponed a decision on ICANN jurisdiction during its work on its first set of accountability recommendations amid concerns the issue could derail the now-completed IANA oversight handoff (see 1508040058). Stakeholders said they're seeing measurable progress on other accountability issues expected to be included in CCWG-Accountability's second set of recommendations.
President Barack Obama took action Thursday against Russia for its involvement in hacks and cyberattacks against the IT systems at the Democratic National Committee and other U.S. institutions aimed at affecting the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Some in Congress are seeking a formal investigation over Russia’s election-related hacks, including calls for both the House and Senate to create select committees with consolidated jurisdiction over a range of cybersecurity policy issues (see 1612190061 and 1612200044).
A deal between Global Music Rights and the Radio Music License Committee on temporary licenses for the performing rights organization's music repertoire may signal that both parties are willing to eventually reach a deal to settle the parties' dueling lawsuits on antitrust claims, industry lawyers told us. GMR and the RMLC said Saturday they reached a deal that would allow RMLC-member terrestrial radio stations an interim license agreement covering performances of GMR clients' recordings through Sept. 30. The interim agreement doesn't end RMLC's antitrust suit against GMR or the PRO's countersuit.
The generalized language in House Judiciary Committee leaders' recent Copyright Office-centric policy proposal means legislation stemming from the proposal could include language from existing bills, depending on feedback lawmakers receive from all factions of the copyright community, officials said in interviews. The paper House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and committee ranking member John Conyers, D-Mich., released earlier this month focused on the CO's operational and IT issues, including giving the office more autonomy from the Library of Congress (see 1612080061). The policy statement endorses the CO’s 2013 plan for establishing an alternative copyright small claims process (see report in the Oct. 1, 2013, issue) and recommends new requirements for updates to the CO’s IT infrastructure.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative released results Wednesday of its 2016 Special 301 out-of-cycle review on IP infringement, which redesignated major Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba and its Taobao online shopping arm to its blacklist. The annual report included Alibaba/Taobao among 21 online markets, along with ExtraTorrent, The Pirate Bay, Putlocker and other websites that have repeatedly appeared in the USTR rankings. The document also included 19 physical markets engaged in selling counterfeit copyrighted materials, including six markets in China.
Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., plans to file legislation in the next Congress aimed at creating a Senate select cybersecurity committee, two industry lobbyists told us Tuesday. Gardner's legislative push for a unified Senate cybersecurity effort follows a similar call over the weekend from incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., and two other senators (see 1612190061). Schumer and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who's also supporting creating a Senate cyber committee, pushed during a Tuesday appearance on NBC's Today Show for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to create the committee in part to investigate recent Russia-led hacks aimed at influencing the presidential election. Foreign governments' involvement in cyberattacks against U.S. interests predating the Russia hacks shows “it's evident that we are facing a growing cybersecurity challenge,” Gardner said in a statement. “The nature and complexity of recent cyber-attacks require a whole of government approach to cyberspace and the development of federal policy to mitigate the threat and protect everything from personal information to the security of our critical infrastructure.” Gardner began favoring a select cyber committee in 2015 and said earlier this year it was needed “because I think it reflects that we don't have a specific body that is looking at all of these challenges at the same time across the government” (see 1606140048).
The New York State Court of Appeals ruled 4-2 Tuesday against Flo & Eddie’s claim that New York common law allows a performance royalty right for sound recordings made before 1972. Flo & Eddie, owners of The Turtles’ music, argued for a pre-'72 performance right as part of their lawsuit against SiriusXM seeking compensation for performances of such Turtles recordings. The ruling likely means the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will in turn rule against Flo & Eddie in its review of SiriusXM's appeal of a 2015 U.S. District Court ruling in New York in the Flo & Eddie suit there, industry lawyers told us. The 2nd Circuit paused its review until the New York court could rule on the pre-'72 performance right question (see 1604130063 and 1605030055).