Sirius XM will continue with “below market rate” music royalty payments despite a recent Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) decision raising the amount it pays SoundExchange, said SoundExchange President Michael Huppe at the Digital Media Wire Music Conference in New York.

The FTC said HTC America reached a tentative settlement over charges that the company’s failure, until at least November 2011 to take “reasonable steps” to secure the software used on its smartphones and tablets, constituted “unfair or deceptive acts or practices” (http://1.usa.gov/YHPOtt). The agency accused the maker of consumer electronics of not using “well-known and commonly-accepted secure programming practices ... which would have ensured that applications only had access to users’ information with their consent."

Sirius XM will continue with “below market rate” music royalty payments despite a recent Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) decision raising the amount it pays SoundExchange, said SoundExchange President Michael Huppe at the Digital Media Wire Music Conference in New York.

Domain registrar Namecheap launched an online campaign to raise donations to fund the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s (EFF) advocacy campaign against the newly reintroduced Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), HR-624, which the groups say would threaten online privacy (http://bit.ly/YC4pW3). Namecheap pledged to donate $1 to EFF for every tweet and Facebook post about the campaign, up to $100,000, according to the site. “CISPA is just another re-hashed version of [the Stop Online Piracy Act], which was vehemently opposed by the entire internet community,” Namecheap CEO Richard Kirkendall said in a statement, calling the bill “another attempt by congress to backdoor this anti-privacy and pro censorship legislation while everyone is sleeping.” In a statement, EFF Executive Director Shari Steele thanked Namecheap users “for their much-needed support and generosity."

Domain registrar Namecheap launched an online campaign to raise donations to fund the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s (EFF) advocacy campaign against the newly reintroduced Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), HR-624, which the groups say would threaten online privacy (http://bit.ly/YC4pW3). Namecheap pledged to donate $1 to EFF for every tweet and Facebook post about the campaign, up to $100,000, according to the site. “CISPA is just another re-hashed version of [the Stop Online Piracy Act], which was vehemently opposed by the entire internet community,” Namecheap CEO Richard Kirkendall said in a statement, calling the bill “another attempt by congress to backdoor this anti-privacy and pro censorship legislation while everyone is sleeping.” In a statement, EFF Executive Director Shari Steele thanked Namecheap users “for their much-needed support and generosity."

EU lawmakers opened talks on a European Commission-proposed Internet gambling policy Wednesday. The EC statement on a comprehensive European framework for online gambling (http://xrl.us/bnvn2g) highlighted the need for EU-level policy action, particularly in the areas of consumer protection and enforcement, but stopped short of calling for regulation. Several members of the European Parliament Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO), however, urged the EC to regulate while acknowledging that the issue is sensitive because of the principle of “subsidiarity,” which allows the EU to intervene only if it can act more effectively than individual countries.

A recently introduced bill would raise the duty rate for "polyurethane sponges" in Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading 3821.13.50 and "steel wool cleaning pads" in subheading 7323.10.00. The duty rate would increase to 6.5 percent (from 4.2 percent) for the sponges and to 20 percent (from free) for the cleaning pads. The bill would also add special rates of duty for the pads to continue duty free entry for several free trade agreements. The Creating Manufacturing Jobs and Promoting Fair Trade Act (HR-734) was introduced Feb. 14 by Reps. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.).

It’s necessary to maintain a free and open Internet to benefit fully from technological advancements, MPAA Chairman Chris Dodd said Friday during a luncheon speech at the National Press Club in Washington (http://bit.ly/YwiWTg). “I also happen to believe that the innovations, the creativity ... are also very much worth protecting and preserving,” he said about extending copyright protections for old movies. The concepts of an open Internet and of copyright can and must exist together “if we are going to succeed,” he said. “Content needs technology” and “technology needs content,” Dodd said. MPAA is working with Google and ad brokers and payment processors on protecting copyrighted content from illegal sites, he said: “We're trying to make sure we strip the financial advantages out of illegal sites as well.” The association plans to start a website to educate people about unintentionally downloading illegal content “without any punitive implications, working on the assumption that most people, if informed that something they're doing is outside the legal space, they'll stop doing it,” he said. “I'm not enthusiastic about legislating in this area. ... We need to try and find ways in which we can achieve what ought to make sense to everyone.” MPAA, RIAA and major ISPs are part of the Copyright Alert System that when it starts will alert broadband customers to when they've downloaded pirated content. There’s a lot of conversation occurring among businesses on anti-piracy legislation, Dodd said. MPAA supported the Stop Online Piracy Act, which was derailed last year (WID Jan 19/12 p1). A lot of the technology companies are now moving into content themselves, “which will probably raise the profile of content,” Dodd said. Those companies will want to be compensated as well, he said. Consumers deserve to enjoy first-generation versions of their favorite films, he said. “We can and must have an Internet that works for everyone, and we can and must have protection for the creative industry’s genius that intellectual property represents.” Movies that unite and impact people “are the result of incredible collaboration often involving thousands and thousands of people,” Dodd said. “Those collaborations generate more than just social and cultural dividends, but economic ones as well.” Filmmakers are incorporating major technological breakthroughs in their work, like IMAX and 3D, “which are revolutionizing the theater-going experience,” he said.

MPAA is a part of the conversation within the Obama administration on questions about gun violence, said Chairman Chris Dodd. “I care about it deeply,” he said Friday during a luncheon speech at the National Press Club in Washington (http://bit.ly/YwiWTg). Over the years, the MPAA content ratings system has evolved, he said: There are more descriptors involved and “a lot of the technology has changed.” The content platforms “provide so many more places where visual entertainment can be seen,” he said. “We're working to provide the assistance and support we can in that area.” It’s an important issue and “we're going to be working with the administration and others to find out the ways that we can be supportive,” he said.

MPAA is a part of the conversation within the Obama administration on questions about gun violence, said Chairman Chris Dodd. “I care about it deeply,” he said Friday during a luncheon speech at the National Press Club in Washington (http://bit.ly/YwiWTg). Over the years, the MPAA content ratings system has evolved, he said: There are more descriptors involved and “a lot of the technology has changed.” The content platforms “provide so many more places where visual entertainment can be seen,” he said. “We're working to provide the assistance and support we can in that area.” It’s an important issue and “we're going to be working with the administration and others to find out the ways that we can be supportive,” he said.