SAN FRANCISCO -- The principle “follow the money” increasingly is leading FTC Comr. Jon Leibowitz, N.Y. Attorney Gen. Andrew Cuomo (D) and other regulators to pursue electronic advertisers over deceptive or intrusive marketing done on their behalf, D.C. lawyer Christine Varney, a Clinton-era FTC commissioner, said: “You ought to be very concerned” about not being insulated from liability by using contract marketers. She spoke late Wed. on a panel at the ad:tech conference here.
Talks continue between industry and environmental groups on towers and bird deaths, but comments filed by both camps at the FCC this week show broad disagreement. Industry groups told the FCC no evidence exists that should lead the agency to impose more requirements on tower operators. Environmental organizations countered with a letter urging the FCC to act immediately to make towers safer for birds.
The Journal of Commerce Online reports that the European Commission has approved a five-year program to streamline and facilitate customs procedures for importers and exporters, while taking steps to reduce fraud. (JoC Online, dated 04/20/07, www.joc.com.)
Agency security officials fended off alarmist scenarios spun by members of Congress warning of cyberattacks equal to dirty bombs at a Thurs. House Homeland Cybersecurity Subcommittee hearing. Major subjects were breaches at the Commerce and State Departments., the role of DHS’s National Cyber Security Div. (NCSD) in protecting agency systems and training personnel and the risk that classified or otherwise sensitive data may have been compromised. Legislators grilled officials on how they know their systems are now secure and why they haven’t been able to find the attacks’ sources.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) and the Department of Interior (Interior) have issued a final rule, effective May 7, 2007, which amends 15 CFR Part 303 governing watch duty-exemption allocations and the watch and jewelry duty-refund benefits for producers in the U.S. insular possessions (the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).
Revenue-starved state and local officials are eyeing Nov. 1, when the congressional moratorium on Internet taxes expires, members of Congress warned at a meeting Tues. of the Computer & Communications Industry Assn. Other hot topics this Congress include Universal Service Fund reform, child protection online and net neutrality, they said.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Encouraging business lessons on Internet video are emerging amid uncertainty and ad-industry conservatism, executives said. But companies have trouble seeing their way clear to profitability, they said Mon. at the Web 2.0 Expo. “Part of the bet is that Google/YouTube will solve the business model before everyone goes broke,” Howard Lindzon, founder of Wallstrip.com, which does evergreen financial stories on companies, said: “We're testing everything.”
Congress should empower the FCC to set a la carte rules for cable, FCC Chmn. Martin said Tues. in an appearance before the House Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee. Martin made his pitch in response to lawmaker outrage at shock jock Don Imus’s racist comments, saying the FCC is powerless to punish miscreants like the former radio host because indecency rules don’t apply. Lawmakers pressed Martin to explain why the FCC left Imus alone.
Authorities had yet to announce a possible motive for the Va. Tech massacre, but videogame industry critics wasted little time pointing their fingers at violent videogames as one likely factor that motivated the 23-year-old shooter, Cho Seung-Hui, to take 32 lives.
Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) judges Mon. denied all motions for rehearing by webcasters hoping to reverse a March 2 ruling to raise fees they pay to stream music online. The decision came as webcasters, musicians and independent record labels announced formation of a SaveNetRadio Coalition to rally support.