The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative should defend U.S. interests against intellectual property threats in the EU, China and various countries, tech groups commented through Thursday night. USTR collected comments for its Special 301 report on international IP practices. Copyright safe harbors included in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and exceptions like fair use are critical, the Internet Association said, citing IP threats from the EU, China and others. Efforts to chip away at the safe harbor framework “threaten the ability of internet companies to expand globally by eliminating” copyright certainty, IA said. BSA|The Software Alliance cited “digital protectionism and isolationism.” Restrictions on “cross-border data transfers; coercive technology transfer; and discrimination against foreign companies, products, and technologies” are counter to U.S. interests, BSA said. The Computer & Communications Industry Association asked USTR to recognize that Europe is attempting to weaken liability protections and enact “copyright policies that will likely have significant negative consequences for the digital economy” like “snippet taxes.” Counterfeiting and piracy in China “remain at epidemic levels,” the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said. Ongoing trade negotiations offer opportunity for the U.S. and China to address IP protection and technology transfer issues, the chamber said. Theft and infringement in China continue to put the software industry at risk, ACT|The App Association said, recommending China remain on the priority watch list. Algeria, Argentina, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Russia and Ukraine also should remain on the list, ACT said. Public Citizen raised concerns about Malaysia, which hasn't been on the watch list since 2012.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative should defend U.S. interests against intellectual property threats in the EU, China and various countries, tech groups commented through Thursday night. USTR collected comments for its Special 301 report on international IP practices. Copyright safe harbors included in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and exceptions like fair use are critical, the Internet Association said, citing IP threats from the EU, China and others. Efforts to chip away at the safe harbor framework “threaten the ability of internet companies to expand globally by eliminating” copyright certainty, IA said. BSA|The Software Alliance cited “digital protectionism and isolationism.” Restrictions on “cross-border data transfers; coercive technology transfer; and discrimination against foreign companies, products, and technologies” are counter to U.S. interests, BSA said. The Computer & Communications Industry Association asked USTR to recognize that Europe is attempting to weaken liability protections and enact “copyright policies that will likely have significant negative consequences for the digital economy” like “snippet taxes.” Counterfeiting and piracy in China “remain at epidemic levels,” the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said. Ongoing trade negotiations offer opportunity for the U.S. and China to address IP protection and technology transfer issues, the chamber said. Theft and infringement in China continue to put the software industry at risk, ACT|The App Association said, recommending China remain on the priority watch list. Algeria, Argentina, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Russia and Ukraine also should remain on the list, ACT said. Public Citizen raised concerns about Malaysia, which hasn't been on the watch list since 2012.

New Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said the FCC must move quickly on complaints AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint are selling customers' real-time location data to bounty hunters (see 1901080046). The ex-Enforcement Bureau staffer, flanked by staff, met reporters Friday.

New Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said the FCC must move quickly on complaints AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint are selling customers' real-time location data to bounty hunters (see 1901080046). The ex-Enforcement Bureau staffer, flanked by staff, met reporters Friday.

Net neutrality advocates are encouraged by oral argument on the FCC's deregulation before a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Friday (see 1902010046). Challengers got some traction with arguments against reversal of Communications Act Title II broadband classification, net neutrality regulation repeal, transparency rule authority, public safety treatment and state pre-emption, the advocates suggested at a Public Knowledge event Wednesday (webcast). They mostly cited the comments and questions of Judge Patricia Millett, and to some extent, of Judge Robert Wilkins, on Mozilla v. FCC, No. 18-1051.

Net neutrality advocates are encouraged by oral argument on the FCC's deregulation before a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Friday (see 1902010046). Challengers got some traction with arguments against reversal of Communications Act Title II broadband classification, net neutrality regulation repeal, transparency rule authority, public safety treatment and state pre-emption, the advocates suggested at a Public Knowledge event Wednesday (webcast). They mostly cited the comments and questions of Judge Patricia Millett, and to some extent, of Judge Robert Wilkins, on Mozilla v. FCC, No. 18-1051.

The FCC should raise a fixed broadband speed benchmark above 25/3 Mbps in its upcoming Telecom Act Section 706 report on adequacy of advanced telecom capability deployment, said the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. "After three years of maintaining the benchmark at 25/3 Mbps, now is the time for the Commission to take a forward-looking approach and raise the standard for broadband," said Monday's filing in docket 18-238. "Increasing the broadband benchmark speed is important as households connect to an increasing number of devices for a variety of high-bandwidth uses such as online educational classes and tutoring, video conferencing, telemedicine, and 'internet of things' devices." It said the 25/3 Mbps benchmark "falls far short of the goals the Commission set in the 2010 National Broadband Plan -- namely, networks capable of delivering 50/20 Mbps by 2015 and 100/50 Mbps by 2020." The latest 706 report was due Tuesday, said an FCC spokesperson. Most staffers were furloughed for over three weeks during the recent partial government shutdown.

The FCC should raise a fixed broadband speed benchmark above 25/3 Mbps in its upcoming Telecom Act Section 706 report on adequacy of advanced telecom capability deployment, said the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. "After three years of maintaining the benchmark at 25/3 Mbps, now is the time for the Commission to take a forward-looking approach and raise the standard for broadband," said Monday's filing in docket 18-238. "Increasing the broadband benchmark speed is important as households connect to an increasing number of devices for a variety of high-bandwidth uses such as online educational classes and tutoring, video conferencing, telemedicine, and 'internet of things' devices." It said the 25/3 Mbps benchmark "falls far short of the goals the Commission set in the 2010 National Broadband Plan -- namely, networks capable of delivering 50/20 Mbps by 2015 and 100/50 Mbps by 2020." The latest 706 report was due Tuesday, said an FCC spokesperson. Most staffers were furloughed for over three weeks during the recent partial government shutdown.

NTIA received more than 50 comments on a national spectrum strategy. They mostly stake out well-developed positions expressed elsewhere. Industry officials told us the comments at least provide a baseline for the administration as it plows into creating the plan.

NTIA received more than 50 comments on a national spectrum strategy. They mostly stake out well-developed positions expressed elsewhere. Industry officials told us the comments at least provide a baseline for the administration as it plows into creating the plan.