AT&T must lease its existing entrance facilities to CLECs at rates reflecting actual costs, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in an 8-0 decision in Talk America v. Michigan Bell Telephone. Justice Elena Kagan wasn’t involved in Thursday’s decision and Justice Antonin Scalia concurred separately. Seven of the justices, led by Clarence Thomas, ruled that the relevant sections of the 1996 Telecom Act were ambiguous, and therefore the FCC’s view of its own rules were owed deference, even though the view was expressed in an amicus brief.
The International Trade Commission announces that two section 337 patent-based complaints have been filed regarding certain light-emitting diodes and products containing the same.
Crucial work on a guidebook for applicants for new generic top-level domains may continue after ICANN’s board approves, at its Singapore meeting the week of June 20, making them available, a lawyer following the action said Tuesday. The top-level domain is the part of a Web address after the last dot, and making available new names including for brands and communities is on the table, said speakers on a BNA webcast. Canon, Hitachi and Nokia have announced plans to seek “dot-brand” domains, “and some others are going to be forthcoming in the next few weeks,” said Jeffrey Neuman, NeuStar vice president-law and policy.
In the May 25, 2011 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (Vol. 45, No. 22), CBP published four notices that propose to modify rulings regarding NAFTA eligibility of refined sugar, preferential treatment of certain garments with belts as composite goods, and the tariff classification of vodka and of Diasorin Dynabeads.
The International Trade Commission announces that a section 337 patent-based complaint has been filed regarding certain liquid crystal display devices and products containing same.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski defended in a May 31 letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the process behind the International Bureau waiver granted to LightSquared in January that allows it to offer terrestrial-only services. The Senate Judiciary Committee’s Ranking Member had requested information on the process and any FCC communications about the waiver decision (CD May 18 p9). The Chairman’s letter didn’t address the requested FCC communications involving the decision.
The International Trade Commission announces that a section 337 patent-based complaint has been filed regarding certain microprocessors, components thereof, and products containing same.
CTIA strongly opposed an FCC proposal that wireless carriers pay Interstate Telecommunications Service Provider (ITSP) fees for the first time. The opposition came in comments responding to a May notice of proposed rulemaking on changes to the commission’s regulatory fees regime. PCIA said a proposed 20 percent fee increase on Private Land Mobile Radio Service (PLMRS) licenses would be unfairly burdensome. USTelecom said the FCC needs to make fundamental changes to its formula for calculating ITSP fees, which go well beyond anything proposed in the NPRM. For FY 2011, Congress has mandated that the FCC collect $335,794,000 through regulatory fees to cover its cost of operations.
The House Financial Services Subcommittee1 marked up and approved H.R. 2072, a bill to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank and provide it with more financing and domestic content guidelines.
Sony and Epsilon supported a federal standard for data breach consumer notification, at a hearing Thursday of the House Commerce Subcommittee on Manufacturing. Chair Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., said her upcoming data breach bill will include such a standard, among other consumer protections. Bono Mack criticized Sony and Epsilon but said it’s time to stop pointing fingers. “Instead, let’s point the way -- a better, smarter way -- to protect American consumers online.”