LONDON -- Disconnection is an “inappropriate way” of dealing with Internet pirates, and the U.K. government should halt moves in that direction until pan-EU law emerges, the All-Party Parliamentary Communications Group said on Thursday at a Parliament and Internet conference. Its report looked at online privacy, behavioral advertising, ISP responsibility for “bad” traffic and Web sties involving sexual abuse of children. It recommended a mix of industry and government regulation. Office of Communications CEO Ed Richards said dealing with illegal downloaders is “clearly a matter for government.” He urged lawmakers to make any legislation clear enough to encourage commercial deals.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a final rule which removes compliance date provisions that have already occurred, for various sections of the CBP regulations pertaining to the mandatory advance electronic transmission of in-bound and out-bound cargo information. (FR Pub 10/14/09, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-24668.pdf)
First responders don’t consider a wireless broadband network as a substitute for conventional voice radios, Public Safety Spectrum Trust Chairman Harlin McEwen said in a letter and a white paper sent Monday to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. Public safety needs the 12 MHz of 700 MHz spectrum that has been set aside for its narrowband voice systems, McEwen said. “There is a misconception by some that in 2-3 years wireless broadband will be an alternative to Land Mobile Radio mission critical public safety voice systems,” the white paper said. “The fact is there are currently no broadband standards being developed or even planned that will allow such an alternative.” McEwen, also chairman of the Communications & Technology Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, said he wanted to set the record straight. “Current and planned broadband standards and technologies depend on a network approach while public safety must also have a non-network capability to communicate in emergencies when a network cannot be reached or is out of service,” the paper said. McEwen noted that millions of dollars have already been spent on conventional land-mobile public-safety voice systems in this spectrum. “To stop that progress would be disastrous to the public safety community and the communities they serve,” the paper said. “Secondly, and equally as important, is that the claims that in 2-3 years broadband will begin replacing land mobile mission critical voice radio services are based on lack of knowledge of the possibilities to accomplish this.” McEwen also commented on the cost of a national wireless broadband network. “Estimates of $10 billion to $40 billion have been floated without any real supporting documentation,” the paper said. “There is general agreement that if public safety and the private sector can leverage existing private and public infrastructure the cost can be significantly reduced. One commercial company has said that if existing commercial infrastructure was used their cost estimate would be about $13 billion. Eventual total cost of the network will also be influenced by local build-out decisions. Where local entities or regions want to build out a portion of the national network in their jurisdiction they may each have a different view as to how robust that network should be in their area.”
A federal appeals court on Friday denied a last-minute request by the government seeking a 30-day delay of a district judge’s order to release documents detailing telcos’ lobbying efforts seeking immunity for any involvement in the government’s warrantless surveillance program (CD Sept 28 p10). The government may renew the appeal after “presentation to the district court and the district court’s issuance of an order granting or denying the motion,” said the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White in San Francisco denied the government’s motions to postpone and reconsider a Sept. 24 order requiring the documents’ disclosure by Friday. “The Court is not persuaded that it should exercise its discretion to stay its own order pending ‘necessary consultations and deliberations to determine whether to appeal’ the Court’s Order,” White wrote. “The disputed documents were the subject of an order granting preliminary injunction dated April 2008, a subsequent delay in order for Defendants to re-evaluate their position subject to the reformed regulations of the Obama Administration, and the matter has been submitted on the parties’ cross-motions long enough for the Defendants to consider their options regarding a possible appeal in the event their motion was denied.” White said he turned down the request for reconsideration because no new facts, laws or arguments have emerged since the court issued the order. The government defendants “reargue points previously asserted to the Court and, in essence, merely express their disagreement with the Court’s decision.” The Justice Department and Office of the Director of National Intelligence responded late Thursday with an emergency motion at the 9th Circuit. The government said the solicitor general needs until Nov. 8 “to conduct the necessary consultations and deliberations regarding the appeal decision.” Without a delay, “the confidentiality of the documents will be irretrievably lost and this Court will be deprived of its ability to review the district court’s order,” it said.
A federal appeals court on Friday denied a last-minute request by the government seeking a 30-day delay of a district judge’s order to release documents detailing telcos’ lobbying efforts seeking immunity for any involvement in the government’s warrantless surveillance program (WID Sept 28 p8). The government may renew the appeal after “presentation to the district court and the district court’s issuance of an order granting or denying the motion,” said the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White in San Francisco denied the government’s motions to postpone and reconsider a Sept. 24 order requiring the documents’ disclosure by Friday. “The Court is not persuaded that it should exercise its discretion to stay its own order pending ‘necessary consultations and deliberations to determine whether to appeal’ the Court’s Order,” White wrote. “The disputed documents were the subject of an order granting preliminary injunction dated April 2008, a subsequent delay in order for Defendants to re-evaluate their position subject to the reformed regulations of the Obama Administration, and the matter has been submitted on the parties’ cross-motions long enough for the Defendants to consider their options regarding a possible appeal in the event their motion was denied.” White said he turned down the request for reconsideration because no new facts, laws or arguments have emerged since the court issued the order. The government defendants “reargue points previously asserted to the Court and, in essence, merely express their disagreement with the Court’s decision.” The Justice Department and Office of the Director of National Intelligence responded late Thursday with an emergency motion at the 9th Circuit. The government said the solicitor general needs until Nov. 8 “to conduct the necessary consultations and deliberations regarding the appeal decision.” Without a delay, “the confidentiality of the documents will be irretrievably lost and this Court will be deprived of its ability to review the district court’s order,” it said. Late Friday, DoJ and the intelligence director’s office submitted yet another emergency motion for a stay back at the district court. “We respectfully request that the Court act on the motion today to provide time for defendants to resubmit the motion to the Ninth Circuit today, if this Court denies it, before the disclosure deadline of October 9 expires.”
Advocates for the disabled called for FCC mandates or recommendations to spur broadband adoption by people with disabilities. They responded to a commission notice seeking comment on broadband accessibility for people with disabilities, part of the FCC’s development of a national broadband plan. But CTIA, CEA and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) warned that accessibility mandates for wireless and other devices drives up costs and can stifle innovation.
GENEVA - Intellectual property rights (IPR) for standards, platforms and content are raising new competition concerns for Internet, telco and equipment manufacturers, speakers said at ITU Telecom World forum on content and intellectual property rights issues in information and communications technology. Players are relying on a palette of technical solutions and alternative dispute resolution to solve and avoid problems.
Advocates for the disabled called for FCC mandates or recommendations to spur broadband adoption by people with disabilities. They responded to a commission notice seeking comment on broadband accessibility for people with disabilities, part of the FCC’s development of a national broadband plan. But CTIA, CEA and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) warned that accessibility mandates for wireless and other devices drives up costs and can stifle innovation.
Electronic Arts (EA) said it signed a deal with Idea+Design Works (IDW) Publishing to bring the Army of Two and Dragon Age game properties to the comics arena under a new EA Comics imprint from IDW starting in January. The companies will launch monthly comic series for both properties, with each issue published in print and distributed nationally at comic book stores, and digital versions also released for the iPhone and iPod touch and “other emerging digital platforms,” they said on Monday. The move “marks another step in our strategy for extending EA’s wholly-owned game properties to new media,” said Mike Quigley, group vice president of global marketing for the EA Games Label. EA “will fund and manage the creative aspect of the comic book series, while IDW will be responsible for printing and distribution,” the companies said. IDW is the third largest comic book publisher in the U.S., behind DC Comics and Marvel, IDW said. Separately, EA’s Phenomic studio said its real-time strategy game BattleForge is the first title to leverage Microsoft’s DirectX 11 and AMD’s new ATI graphic processor chipset. The game is EA’s first “Play4Free” online game.
Electric utilities and the Utilities Telecom Council put on a full court press on their need for dedicated spectrum for utility operations in comments to the FCC on broadband and smart grid technology. The utilities insisted that commercial networks are not reliable enough to meet their needs. But major phone and cable companies said they're capable. State regulators said they could provide a neutral opinion.