The European Commission plans to deal with troublesome online content issues starting next year, it said Wednesday after an “orientation debate” called by President José Manuel Barroso. With Europe’s digital economy predicted to grow seven times faster than its overall gross domestic product in the next few years, the EC wants to ensure that copyright rules work in the digital context, it said. Parallel tracks will deal next year with several issues where quick progress is needed, with decisions coming in 2014, it said. The EC hasn’t really tackled those matters until now, focusing instead on studies and limited topics such as collective licensing and orphan works, EC sources said. But the Digital Agenda mid-term review, due Dec. 19, is expected to name copyright reform as a top priority, and government leaders want concrete acts to spur the digital single market. There wasn’t enough work being done on the critical issues, and then the polarized focus on enforcement in the context of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) made things worse, they said.

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn is committed to ensuring media ownership diversity, she told members of the Senate Commerce Committee during a confirmation hearing Tuesday. If she’s confirmed, Clyburn could be in line to become acting FCC Chairman if Julius Genachowski decides to leave next year, as is expected by many (CD Nov 8 p1). The committee also heard testimony from FTC nominee Joshua Wright, an economist and law professor at George Mason University and former FTC Scholar in Residence. It questioned him on the balance between regulation and the ability of free markets to protect consumers, as well as his willingness to recuse himself in cases involving companies who have financially supported his academic work, such as Google. The committee plans to mark up the nominations next week, said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., without specifying a date or time.

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn faced members of the Senate Commerce Committee during a confirmation hearing Tuesday. If she’s confirmed, Clyburn could be in line to become acting FCC Chairman if Julius Genachowski decides to leave next year, as is expected by many (WID Nov 8 p1). The committee also heard testimony from FTC nominee Joshua Wright, an economist and law professor at George Mason University and former FTC Scholar in Residence. It questioned him on the balance between regulation and the ability of free markets to protect consumers, as well as his willingness to recuse himself in cases involving companies who have financially supported his academic work, such as Google. The committee plans to mark up the nominations next week, said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., without specifying a date or time.

Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.) and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) pushed for strong public health protections as part of the ongoing negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk. "As a result of expanded trade with two particular TPP countries, Vietnam and Malaysia, the United States markets could see an influx of imported contaminated seafood," said a press release. Those two countries have an especially poor track record for seafood imported into the U.S., the lawmakers said.

"Honeypots” -- computing resources that act as “digital traps” to lure cyberattackers -- are a great way for computer emergency readiness teams (CERTs) to gain threat intelligence without affecting production infrastructure, but they face significant technical, legal and ethical barriers, said the European Network and Information Security Agency in a report on proactive detection of security incidents. It reviewed 30 existing honeypot and related technologies, focusing on open-source solutions, to advise CERTs which are best for deployment and use. Despite the various issues the technologies raise, CERTs should explore their use, the agency said. Meanwhile, the European Commission said it’s funding several projects aimed at addressing major cybersecurity issues.

CTIA and NAB want a one-month extension of the deadlines to submit comments on the FCC’s plan for implementing spectrum incentive auction legislation. In a joint filing late Tuesday, the associations asked the FCC to extend the deadline to comment from Dec. 21 to Jan. 25, and to extend the deadline for reply comments from Feb. 19 to March 26. An extension would give interested parties time to address “the complicated economic, engineering and policy issues” raised by the FCC’s notice of proposed rulemaking on the spectrum incentive auction plan and to assist the commission in implementing the Spectrum Act, they said in the filing. “The novelty and uniqueness of this auction require that all interested parties thoroughly digest and analyze the complex set of issues presented in order to ensure that the auction has the best chance for success” (http://xrl.us/bn2ucb).

Opening briefs were due Monday in the Supreme Court case Arlington, Texas, et al. v. FCC, which will take a hard look at the Chevron doctrine and federal agencies’ ability to determine their jurisdiction. The court took up the question Oct. 5, raising questions about how the FCC exerts its authority (CD Oct 12 p1). Petitioners include the city of Arlington and San Antonio, Texas, Los Angeles, San Diego and the Texas Coalition for Utilities Issues. The petitioners have attracted significant support among state advocates. The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners adopted a resolution Nov. 13 in support of the petitioners (CD Nov 14 p5) and NARUC is now one among many state advocates speaking up.

A spokeswoman for Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, urged Chairman Pat Leahy, D-Vt., to delay his planned Nov. 29 markup of a bill aimed at updating the 26-year-old Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). “Judging by the concerns on both sides of the issue, it may be time to take a step back, hold additional hearings to address concerns, and discuss the issues being raised instead of rewriting the bill behind closed doors,” the Grassley spokeswoman said in an email Tuesday. The comment followed a report from CNET which said Leahy was revising the bill to permit more than 22 agencies to access American’s emails and social networking content without a search warrant.

A spokeswoman for Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, urged Chairman Pat Leahy, D-Vt., to delay his planned Nov. 29 markup of a bill aimed at updating the 26-year-old Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). “Judging by the concerns on both sides of the issue, it may be time to take a step back, hold additional hearings to address concerns, and discuss the issues being raised instead of rewriting the bill behind closed doors,” the Grassley spokeswoman said in an email Tuesday. The comment followed a report from CNET which said Leahy was revising the bill to permit more than 22 agencies to access American’s emails and social networking content without a search warrant.

House Communications Subcommittee Ranking Member Anna Eshoo and Rep. Zoe Lofgren, both California Democrats, expressed their concern that the FTC is preparing to expand its powers to regulate antitrust violations. The issue was raised in a letter made public Monday (http://xrl.us/bn2jqt). Eshoo and Lofgren, who represent districts in or around Silicon Valley, urged the FTC to reconsider expanding its jurisdiction under Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act to include antitrust actions. The commission, in coordination with the Department of Justice, is currently investigating Google for alleged antitrust violations. Eshoo and Lofgren said expanding Section 5, which prohibits unfair and deceptive practices, “could lead to overbroad authority that amplifies uncertainty and stifles growth. These effects may be most acutely felt among online services, a crucial engine of job creation, where technological advancement and small business innovation are rapid,” they said. The FTC had no comment.