Source: http://www.techlawjournal.com/alert/2005/12/01.asp
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 10:35:56+00:00

Document:
TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,263, December 1, 2005.
December 1, 2005, 8:00 AM ET, Alert No. 1,263.
11/29. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted a staff recommendation to publish a notice in the Federal Register that proposes to amend the SEC's rules to allow companies to use the internet to satisfy proxy material delivery requirements.
11/22. The Office of the Attorney General of the State of New York announced in a release that "Warner Music Group Corp., the third largest record company in the United States, has agreed to abandon the industry-wide practice of providing radio stations and their employees with financial incentives and promotional items in exchange for ``airplay´´ for Warner's recordings." See also, document [57 pages in PDF] signed by Warner and New York titled "Assurance of Discontinuance".
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein stated in a release [PDF] that "Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has once again achieved a breakthrough in the effort to combat payola and protect consumers from misleading broadcasts. The settlement with Warner Music Group adds more dirt to the mountain of evidence that payola is pervasive in the music business. This agreement once again raises serious concerns that not only has New York State law been violated, but Federal law under the FCC’s jurisdiction, as well. The FCC needs to act on this evidence and conclude as soon as possible the investigation we are now undertaking."
See also, stories titled "FCC Chairman Directs Enforcement Bureau to Conduct Payola Investigation" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,191, August 9, 2005; "Adelstein Angles for More FCC Regulation of Speech" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,143, May 26, 2005; and "Powell Announces FCC Investigation Regarding Armstrong Williams" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,057, January 17, 2005.
11/30. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that its General Counsel, Giovanni Prezioso, "will leave the Commission to return to the private sector. Prezioso, 47, was named General Counsel in April 2002. He has not yet accepted another position and will remain at the Commission until early 2006 to assist with transition matters." See, SEC release.
11/14. The U.S. District Court (DAriz) issued its Final Judgment and Order for Permanent Injunction and Other Equitable Relief [14 pages in PDF] in FTC v. Wealth Systems, holding that the defenants violated the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTCA) in connection with their marketing and selling internet based business opportunities via direct mail and telemarketing. See also, FTC release. This case is FTC v. Wealth Systems, Inc., Ecommerce Network.com, LLC, Martin Q. Wilson, and Shane Roach, U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, D.C. No. CV-05-0394 PHX JAT, Judge James Teilborg presiding.
11/30. President Bush gave a long speech on terrorism and the war in Iraq. He did not discuss technology policy. However, he closed by reciting the posthumous words of a U.S. Marine who died in Iraq. The medium of this Marine's last words was a laptop computer. Bush said, "One of those fallen heroes is a Marine Corporal named Jeff Starr, who was killed fighting the terrorists in Ramadi earlier this year. After he died, a letter was found on his laptop computer. Here's what he wrote, he said, ``[I]f you're reading this, then I've died in Iraq. ...´´"
10:00 AM. The Antitrust Modernization Commission (AMC) will meet. There will be a panel from 10:00 AM to 12:00 NOON titled "Government Civil Remedies". There will be three panels from 1:15 - 4:30 PM titled "Statutory Immunities and Exemptions". See, prepared testimony [PDF] of John Sullivan, prepared testimony [PDF] of James Miller, prepared testimony [27 pages in PDF] of Peter Carstenen (University of Wisconsin law school), and prepared testimony [44 pages in PDF] of Darren Bush, Gregory Leonard (NERA Economic Consulting), and Stephen Ross (University of Illinois law school). See, AMC notice and notice in the Federal Register, November 16, 2005, Vol. 70, No. 220, at Page 69511. Location: Federal Trade Commission, Conference Center, 601 New Jersey Ave., NW.
12:00 NOON - 2:00 PM. The Public Knowledge (PK) will host a briefing for Congressional staff titled "Importance of an Open Internet for the National Economy". The speakers will be Gigi Sohn (PK), Chris Murray (Vonage), Matthew Zinn (TiVo), Mark Cooper (Consumer Federation of America), Mark Luker (Educause), and Barbara van Schewick (author of the paper [48 pages in PDF] titled "Towards an Economic Framework for Network Neutrality Regulation"). The PK notice states that "Hill staffers get first crack at questions". Lunch will be served. RSVP to pk at publicknowledge dot org or 202 518-0020. Press contact: Art Brodsky at 202 518-0020 ext 103. Location: Room 2226, Rayburn Building.
8:00 AM - 11:00 AM. The DC Bar Association's Intellectual Property Law Section will host a panel discussion titled "Trademark Office Speaks". The speakers will include Lynne Beresford (Commissioner for Trademarks), Sharon Marsh (Deputy Commissioner for Trademark Examination Policy), and David Sams (Chief Administrative Trademark Judge, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board). The price to attend ranges from $25-$40. For more information, call 202 626-3463. See, notice. Location: Cosmos Club, 2121 Massachusetts Ave., NW.
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM. Day two of a two day meeting of the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB). The agenda includes the following items: (1) Privacy Act framework effort, (2) status reports on ISPAB work plan items, (3) briefing on NIST Next Generation Internet Protocol (IPv6), (4) briefing on NIST National Vulnerability Database Project, (5) NTIA Information Security Outreach Briefing, and (6) discussion of NIST's Cryptographic Hash Function Workshop. See, notice in the Federal Register, November 18, 2005, Vol. 70, No. 222, at Pages 69953 - 69954. Location: Doubletree Hotel and Executive Meeting Center, 1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD.
10:00 AM. The House Judiciary Committee's (HJC) Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property (CIIP) will hold an oversight hearing titled "International IPR Report Card -- Assessing U.S. Government and Industry Efforts to Enhance Chinese and Russian Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights". The hearing will be webcast by the HJC. Press contact: Jeff Lungren or Terry Shawn at 202 225-2492. Location: Room 2141, Rayburn Building.
10:00 AM. The U.S. Court of Appeals (FedCir) will hear oral argument in MIT v. Abacus Software, No. 05-1142, an appeal from the U.S. District Court (EDTex) in a patent infringement case involving image editing software. Location: Courtroom 203, 717 Madison Place, NW.
4:00 - 7:00 PM. The Progress and Freedom Foundation (PFF) will host an event titled "DACA USF Conference". The PFF's Digital Age Communications Act (DACA) project is in the process of developing draft legislation. One of the topics that it is examining is Universal Service Fund (USF) reform. The keynote speaker will be Sen. John Sununu (R-NH), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee. There will be a panel presentation by the PFF's DACA Universal Service Working Group. The presenters will be Ray Gifford (PFF), Adam Peters (Kamlet Shepherd & Reichert), Michael Riordan (Columbia Business School), Robert Atkinson (Columbia Institute for Tele-Information), and Jerry Ellig (Mercatus Center, George Mason University). Then there will be a panel of industry representatives will provide reaction. The panelists will be Jonathan Askin (General Counsel, Pulver.com), Bob Blau (BellSouth), David Cohen (US Telecom), Gary Lytle (Qwest), John Nakahata (Harris Wiltshire & Grannis), and Joe Waz (Comcast). See, notice and registration pages. Location: Thornton Room, Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Ave., NW.
7:00 PM. The Progress and Freedom Foundation (PFF) will host a "holiday gala" that will include "libations". The PFF invites not only supporters of "telecom reform", but also "erstwhile advocates for commons, mandated ``openness´´ and regulatory interventions". Location: Thornton Room, Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Ave., NW.
TIME? The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will hold a presolicitaion conference regarding the draft RFP [154 pages in PDF] for remaking the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) Platform. See also, SEC release, draft RFP cover letter [PDF], and story titled "SEC Seeks Contractor to Remake EDGAR" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,259, November 23, 2005. Location: __.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will begin its Multichannel Video Distribution and Data Service (MVDDS) auction (Auction No. 63). See, notice in the Federal Register, September 15, 2005, Vol. 70, No. 178, at Pages 54541 - 54555.
9:30 AM. The U.S. Court of Appeals (DCCir) will hear oral argument in CTIA v. FCC, No. 05-1008. This is a petition for review of the final order of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that adopted the "Nationwide Programmatic Agreement Regarding the Section 106 National Historic Preservation Act Review Process", which regulates tower and antenna construction. This order is FCC 04-222 in WT Docket No. 03-128. At issue is whether the FCC has authority under Section 106 of the NHPA, which is codified at 16 U.S.C. § 470f, to write these rules. See, stories titled "FCC Announces NPRM Regarding Communications Facilities and the National Historic Preservation Act" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 677, June 10, 2003, and "FCC Adopts Report and Order Re FCC Licensing and the National Historic Preservation Act" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 975, September 13, 2004. See also, brief [PDF] of the FCC. Judges Tatel, Garland and Griffith will preside. Location: Courtroom 20, Prettyman Courthouse, 333 Constitution Ave., NW.
10:00 AM. The U.S. Court of Appeals (FedCir) will hear oral argument in Inpro II Licensing v. T-Mobile USA, No. 05-1233. Location: Courtroom 201, 717 Madison Place, NW.
The Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA) will host an event titled "19th Annual Chairman's Dinner". Location: Washington Hilton Hotel.

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