Time Warner Cable will largely run a new regional sports network owned by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the cable operator said. SportsNet LA will carry Dodgers games beginning in 2014. TWC will act as the exclusive affiliate and ad sales agent for the network and have certain branding and programming rights, it said. The cable operator will also carry the network on its Southern California and Hawaii systems, it said.
Ameranth said it signed a patent license agreement with PAR Technology, a Point of Sale and Property Management Systems company. Ameranth said its web/wireless data synchronization patents on its 21st Century Communications system -- Nos. 6,384,850; 6,871,325; 6,982,733; 8,146,077 and an additional one that is patent-pending -- have been widely adopted and “are now essential to the modern wireless/Web hospitality enterprise.” Hospitality IT systems require Ameranth-patented technology to perform mobile/online ordering, reservations, ticketing and related functions -- and the company said it’s pursuing infringement lawsuits against “numerous” defendants. “Reaching an agreement with Ameranth for the use of its novel patents was important to PAR,” said PARtech CEO Paul Domorski Monday in an Ameranth news release (http://xrl.us/boc4jd).
A News Corp. unit agreed to buy two TV stations from Capitol Broadcasting in the Charlotte, N.C., market, the companies said Monday. Fox Television Stations is buying WMYT(MyNetworkTV) Rock Hill, S.C., and WJZY(CW) Belmont, N.C. The deal needs FCC approval.
The FCC should prohibit wireless microphones and other low-power auxiliary service (LPAS) devices from all former TV spectrum that will be sold by the commission in the incentive auction, CTIA commented on a November public notice designed to update and refresh the record on wireless mics. “In 2010, the Commission concluded that wireless microphones and LPAS devices could interfere with commercial base and mobile receivers (and public safety) entering the 700 MHz band and determined that such devices must be cleared from the band,” said the group’s comment filing (http://xrl.us/boc4g3). “Among the lessons learned as part of the digital television transition, the Commission concluded that wireless microphones and other” LPAS “devices in the 700 MHz band ‘pose a significant threat of interference’ to new wireless services entering the band and mandated that such devices be cleared,” the association said. “The risk of interference found in the 700 MHz band applies equally to the 600 MHz spectrum.” The FCC also got comments in response to a notice of proposed rulemaking on proposed rules for an incentive auction of TV spectrum (See separate report above in this issue). The FCC’s proposal “including TV Band repacking, the creation of exclusive use guard bands, and an elimination of reserve channels” are among measures that “would cause significant harm to the wireless microphone community,” Shure said. Wireless mic makers already feel under siege, Shure said (http://xrl.us/boc4bo). “In assessing the impact of its new proposals, the Commission should be aware that the wireless microphone community is still struggling to absorb the significant costs and disruption of the White Spaces and 700 MHz band decisions and any actions that further impair their wireless microphone operations will cause substantial hardship.” Sennheiser said that at a minimum the FCC should leave in place the two TV channels now set aside for wireless mics. “The very high demands that professional users place on wireless microphones as to audio fidelity, reliability, and low latency effectively rule out their operation on frequencies much above or below the TV bands,” Sennheiser said (http://xrl.us/boc4ce). “Motion-picture production, from Hollywood blockbusters with nine-digit budgets down to student work at the local community college, relies heavily on wireless microphones for clear, accurate audio. Live events like outdoor concerts and Broadway productions need wireless microphones to reach the back row. Presenters in large auditoriums, lecture halls, and houses of worship find them indispensable.” The FCC needs to protect wireless mics from interference, the Broadway League said. “The technological reality is that, because of the low power and relatively isolated locations of wireless microphones in near proximity to paired receivers, they do not interfere with other users,” the league said (http://xrl.us/boc4cp). “However, because of the same factors of low power and location, it is easy for other users of the same spectrum to overpower wireless microphones.
CEA hailed a bipartisan group of senators for agreeing on principles for a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s “outdated legal immigration system,” President Gary Shapiro said Monday. “Our immigration policies have failed to adapt, placing our nation’s competitive advantage at risk,” he said. Giving green cards to immigrants who receive science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) degrees from U.S. universities “is needed in order to have an innovative and competitive workforce in the 21st century,” Shapiro said. He said CEA also hopes that H1B challenges for non-immigrant foreign workers who hold STEM degrees from American universities “will be addressed as part of comprehensive reform and urge[s] the White House and both chambers of Congress to quickly enact critical reforms to our immigration laws."
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals erred in refusing to unseal orders that the Department of Justice sent to Twitter and other companies during an investigation of three Twitter users in connection with the unauthorized publishing of classified documents through WikiLeaks, the ACLU and Electronic Frontier Foundation -- which represented one the Twitter users in the case -- said in a joint statement late Friday. On Friday, the court denied an appeal to unseal the documents, saying the public’s right to access was outweighed by the government’s need for secrecy to preserve the integrity of its investigation (CD Jan 28 p16). The court’s “decision makes it easier for the government to keep its electronic surveillance activities hidden, even when there is no longer any need to keep them secret,” said ACLU attorney Aden Fine: “This case shows just how easy it is for the government to obtain information about what people are doing on the internet, and it highlights the need for our electronic privacy laws to catch up with technology."
The ITC said Friday it voted to investigate a complaint filed by Nuance Communications, Swype, Tegic Communications and ZI Corp. of Canada against Personal Communications Devices (PCD) and Shanghai HanXiang (Coo Tek) Information Technology. The complaint, filed earlier this month, alleges that PCD and Shanghai HanXiang violated patents related to “smartphones and associated touch keyboard software that permits a user to input information with increased speed and/or accuracy” and imported infringing products into the U.S. in violation of the Tariff Act of 1930. Nuance and other complainants are seeking a U.S. sales ban on the offending products and a cease-and-desist order. The ITC said Friday it will set a target end-date for the investigation -- numbered 337-TA-864 -- within 45 days (http://xrl.us/boc4dq). PCD declined to comment, with CEO George Appling saying in a statement that it’s company policy “not to comment on pending litigation."
Russia’s RuSat selected Newtec’s latest very small aperture terminal hub and end-user terminal technology for its new satellite broadband service. RuSat will offer the service through the Yamal-402 satellite, said RuSat and Newtec in a news release. Although RuSat will offer the service with Ku band, “the terminals can be easily upgraded later to operate in Ka band by a simple change of Newtec’s interactive LNB [low-noise block] and with no hardware adaptation to the satellite modem or the antenna,” they said.
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) said Friday it voted to investigate Samsung’s claim that Ericsson violated its patents in “pieces of wireless communications equipment, including base stations” (http://xrl.us/boc4ac). Samsung originally filed its complaint in late December, alleging that Ericsson had been unwilling to continue to negotiate patent licensing agreements. Samsung is seeking a U.S. sales ban and a cease-and-desist order against infringing products it claims Ericsson imported into the U.S. in violation of the Tariff Act of 1930 (CD Dec 27/12 p11). Ericsson had filed its own patent infringement lawsuits against Samsung in November, as well as a complaint with the ITC over Samsung’s infringement in “various smartphones, along with base stations, 802.11-compliant televisions and Blu-Ray players, and tablet computers” (http://xrl.us/bn9eoq). The commission said it’s investigating that complaint separately -- it can’t lump the Samsung and Ericsson complaints into the same investigation -- and has set an April 8, 2014, deadline to make a final ruling on that case. The ITC said Friday it will set a target date for concluding its investigation of Samsung’s claims against Ericsson -- the investigation is numbered 337-TA-866 -- within 45 days.
GameStop introduced an unlimited talk, text and data service at all U.S. stores as part of a deal with Net10 Wireless, the retail chain said Monday. It’s “the first time we have offered” such service plans, a GameStop spokeswoman said. The chain started testing the service “in a small set” of stores over the summer and “received good feedback from consumers,” she told us. “No-contract wireless has been gaining popularity and it’s a natural fit with our recommerce program” that includes used smartphones and other devices, she said. With the Net10 deal, GameStop customers “will be able to enjoy flexibility when it comes to finding cost-effective, quality mobile device and service options,” the chain said. GameStop also started a “Re-Fun Your Refund” promotion that it said will run through March 2 and offer special deals on products to help consumers “get the most out of your tax refund.” As part of the promotion, customers can buy a pre-owned phone such as an iPhone 3G for as low as $49.99 when paired with a Net10 SIM card and two months of service through Feb. 17, the chain said. GameStop PowerUp Rewards loyalty members who spend $50 or more during the promotion will have the chance to win $1,000 a day as part of a $1,000 a Day Giveaway Sweepstakes, it said. Net10’s nationwide, contract-free options start at $50 a month, and customers can use Net10 service with any GSM-enabled device that requires a SIM card, the chain said.