The FCC Media Bureau seeks comment on a series of NPRMs on FM channel allotments. The bureau’s Audio Division seeks comment on a proposal from Bryan Broadcasting to substitute Channel 274A for Channel 267A at Centerville, Texas, it said in an NPRM (http://bit.ly/1rYgLIU). The division invites comment on Ashley Bruton’s proposal to allot Channel 280A at McCall, Idaho, as the community’s eighth local service, said a separate NPRM (http://bit.ly/1joRGUT). Bruton also filed a Form 301 application for Channel 280A at McCall, it said. The Navajo Nation proposed to allot FM Channel 258C2 at Rough Rock, Arizona, as a first local service, the division said (http://bit.ly/1joSpFz). Initial comments in all proceedings are due June 23, replies July 8.

Until nations achieve acceptable intellectual property protections, they will “remain second-rate powers,” said Vice President Joe Biden at the Motion Picture Association of America’s creativity conference Friday. ABC News and Microsoft helped sponsor the event. How can a nation say it’s “law-abiding” when its government and people “steal the most valuable ideas from our country?” Biden asked. The “choices” of governments on intellectual property “in the next few years will shape the character” of a “global system of competition for decades to come,” he said. “President Obama and I are not going to sit by and let the outcome of this new system be determined by others,” which is why they are negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership in parts of the Asia-Pacific and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in Europe, he said. The TTIP would “significantly deepen” economic ties with the European Union, including on intellectual property, he said. If the playing field in intellectual property protections is “even remotely level,” the U.S. will “succeed,” he said. The Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus is planning to change its name, because the word “piracy” has an “allure,” said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., at the event. Goodlatte co-chairs the caucus. Piracy is “stealing,” he said. The name change will need approval from some Congressional members, he said, declining to elaborate. “I think we're making progress, but we have a long way to go” in improving China’s intellectual property enforcement, he said. Thirty-seven countries were featured on the U.S. Trade Representative Special 301 Watch List 2014 for insufficient enforcement of intellectual property rights, said a USTR report released earlier in the week (http://1.usa.gov/R32RYF). Ten countries, including China and India, were designated as priority watch list countries, it said.

Until nations achieve acceptable intellectual property protections, they will “remain second-rate powers,” said Vice President Joe Biden at the Motion Picture Association of America’s creativity conference Friday. ABC News and Microsoft helped sponsor the event. How can a nation say it’s “law-abiding” when its government and people “steal the most valuable ideas from our country?” Biden asked. The “choices” of governments on intellectual property “in the next few years will shape the character” of a “global system of competition for decades to come,” he said. “President Obama and I are not going to sit by and let the outcome of this new system be determined by others,” which is why they are negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership in parts of the Asia-Pacific and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in Europe, he said. The TTIP would “significantly deepen” economic ties with the European Union, including on intellectual property, he said. If the playing field in intellectual property protections is “even remotely level,” the U.S. will “succeed,” he said. The Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus is planning to change its name, because the word “piracy” has an “allure,” said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., at the event. Goodlatte co-chairs the caucus. Piracy is “stealing,” he said. The name change will need approval from some Congressional members, he said, declining to elaborate. “I think we're making progress, but we have a long way to go” in improving China’s intellectual property enforcement, he said. Thirty-seven countries were featured on the U.S. Trade Representative Special 301 Watch List 2014 for insufficient enforcement of intellectual property rights, said a USTR report released earlier in the week (http://1.usa.gov/R32RYF) (WID May 2 p8). Ten countries, including China and India, were designated as priority watch list countries, it said.

Until nations achieve acceptable intellectual property protections, they will “remain second-rate powers,” said Vice President Joe Biden at the Motion Picture Association of America’s creativity conference Friday. ABC News and Microsoft helped sponsor the event. How can a nation say it’s “law-abiding” when its government and people “steal the most valuable ideas from our country?” Biden asked. The “choices” of governments on intellectual property “in the next few years will shape the character” of a “global system of competition for decades to come,” he said. “President Obama and I are not going to sit by and let the outcome of this new system be determined by others,” which is why they are negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership in parts of the Asia-Pacific and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in Europe, he said. The TTIP would “significantly deepen” economic ties with the European Union, including on intellectual property, he said. If the playing field in intellectual property protections is “even remotely level,” the U.S. will “succeed,” he said. The Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus is planning to change its name, because the word “piracy” has an “allure,” said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., at the event. Goodlatte co-chairs the caucus. Piracy is “stealing,” he said. The name change will need approval from some Congressional members, he said, declining to elaborate. “I think we're making progress, but we have a long way to go” in improving China’s intellectual property enforcement, he said. Thirty-seven countries were featured on the U.S. Trade Representative Special 301 Watch List 2014 for insufficient enforcement of intellectual property rights, said a USTR report released earlier in the week (http://1.usa.gov/R32RYF). Ten countries, including China and India, were designated as priority watch list countries, it said.

Thirty-seven countries were featured on the U.S. Trade Representative Special 301 Watch List 2014 for insufficient enforcement of intellectual property rights, said the USTR report (http://1.usa.gov/R32RYF) released Wednesday. Ten countries, including China and India, were designated as priority watch list countries, it said. USTR claimed India is a particularly poor environment for intellectual property protection, but declined to name it a priority foreign country, the most severe classification of an IP rights violator, it said. The Obama administration is looking to engage with a new Indian government, set to form following the conclusion of elections in mid-May, said a USTR official on a background conference call with reporters Wednesday. USTR corroborated that stance in an blog post (http://1.usa.gov/1u9zNxT). “This year’s placement of India on the Priority Watch List with an Out-of-Cycle Review highlights the increasing importance of the role of IP in the development of the world’s second most populous country,” said the International Intellectual Property Alliance Counsel Steven J. Metalitz, Eric Schwartz, Michael Schlesinger and Amanda Wilson Denton in a news release. “India needs to step up its efforts to ensure IP protection and enforcement in the country supports its own right[s] holders as well as those from abroad.” The report “shows the great progress that is being made in territories such as Italy, but also highlights the numerous challenges that we continue to face around the world,” said Chris Dodd, MPAA chairman, in a statement (http://bit.ly/R7priJ). “MPAA applauds Italy’s leadership in developing a fast-track online enforcement system for massive infringements,” Dodd said, saying Switzerland should “follow Italy’s lead.” The Association of American Publishers “appreciates that USTR recognized the challenges faced by authors and publishers due to the growth of online copyright infringement worldwide and has again highlighted such infringement of scientific, technical and medical publications in China,” said CEO Tom Allen in a statement (http://bit.ly/1nNmq4Q). “We are disappointed, however, that the Report failed to prioritize serious copyright concerns in Canada, specifically its undefined education exception and the negative impact on all publishers invested in the Canadian market,” he said.

Thirty-seven countries are included on the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Special 301 Watch List for 2014, with 10 designated as Priority Watch List countries. China and India are among those designated as Priority Watch List countries in the report released on April 30. The report criticizes Chinese protection and enforcement of trade secrets, and claims India is a particularly poor environment for intellectual property protection. But USTR declined to name India a Priority Foreign Country, the most severe classification of an intellectual property rights violator, despite recent speculation that the pharmaceutical industry would mount enough pressure to force that classification.

The Philippines was removed from the U.S. Trade Representative’s Special 301 watch list of countries that fail to sufficiently protect intellectual property rights, said a White House news release Monday (http://1.usa.gov/1kdFnsl) timed for President Barack Obama’s visit to the country, scheduled to continue through Tuesday. The administration of Philippines President Benigno Aquino “has made significant progress in implementing economic policy and institutional reforms,” including “intellectual property protection and enforcement,” it said. Israel was removed from the Special 301 watch list last month (CD March 4 p17).

The Philippines was removed from the U.S. Trade Representative’s Special 301 watch list of countries that fail to sufficiently protect intellectual property rights, said a White House news release Monday (http://1.usa.gov/1kdFnsl) timed for President Barack Obama’s visit to the country, scheduled to continue through Tuesday. The administration of Philippines President Benigno Aquino “has made significant progress in implementing economic policy and institutional reforms,” including “intellectual property protection and enforcement,” it said. Israel was removed from the Special 301 watch list last month (WID March 4 p10).

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) removed the Philippines from the Special 301 Watch List after the country implemented sufficient protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, USTR said on April 28. The country was on the list since 1994.

The FCC Media Bureau denied an application for review of its denial of Entravision’s petition for reconsideration. The radio broadcaster had urged the FCC to dismiss Able Radio’s application for a new FM construction permit for a station in Aguila, Ariz., the bureau said in a memorandum opinion and order Wednesday (http://bit.ly/PuhKSy). Entravision said Able failed to obtain reasonable assurance of site availability and it didn’t prosecute the application, the bureau said. The bureau said Able adequately prosecuted the application and that the case doesn’t involve a dispute about the availability of the site identified in Able’s Form 301 when that form was filed.