The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is seeking comment for its 2016 notorious markets list (see 1601110051) by Oct. 7, replies by Oct. 21, for its out-of-cycle review based off the annual Special 301 Report, says a notice scheduled to be published in Thursday's Federal Register. The list identifies “online and physical marketplaces that reportedly engage in and facilitate substantial copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting,” the notice says.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is seeking comment for its 2016 notorious markets list (see 1601110051) by Oct. 7, replies by Oct. 21, for its out-of-cycle review based off the annual Special 301 Report, says a notice scheduled to be published in Thursday's Federal Register. The list identifies “online and physical marketplaces that reportedly engage in and facilitate substantial copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting,” the notice says.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is seeking comment for its 2016 notorious markets list (see 1601110051) by Oct. 7, replies by Oct. 21, for its out-of-cycle review based off the annual Special 301 Report, says a notice scheduled to be published in Thursday's Federal Register. The list identifies “online and physical marketplaces that reportedly engage in and facilitate substantial copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting,” the notice says.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is asking for input as it builds its 2016 Notorious Markets List (here). The list is an out-of-cycle review based off the annual Special 301 Report. The list identifies “online and physical marketplaces that reportedly engage in and facilitate substantial copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting,” the USTR notice said. Those commercial areas include foreign trade zones, USTR said. The 2015 Notorious Markets List, published in December, identified counterfeit marketplaces across the globe (here). Comments are due by Oct. 7.

Towerstream agreed to pay $25,000 to end of an investigation of whether it violated FCC rules by operating radio transmitters without a license, causing harmful interference to FAA Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) systems. Towerstream offers advanced, high-speed internet access to businesses in multiple major markets using rooftop tower facilities, operating in U-NII spectrum in the 5 GHz band, the bureau said. “In 2009, the Enforcement Bureau began receiving complaints from FAA TDWR systems about interference caused by U-NII devices,” the bureau said. The bureau found Towerstream interfered with TDWR systems at Kennedy Airport in New York and in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, the consent decree said. In 2013, the bureau proposed a $202,000 penalty for the violations, the bureau said. Negotiations followed. “During those negotiations, Towerstream admitted for purposes of this investigation that operation of its U-NII transmission systems violated the Part 15 rules and Sections 301 and 333 of the Communications Act,” the bureau said. “Towerstream also presented financial information establishing its inability to pay the proposed forfeiture amount.” The bureau noted the FAA hadn't reported any additional interference to the systems in question. Towerstream didn't comment.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said the FCC should clarify its limited role in a follow-up order on a narrow aspect of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act -- providing an exception for companies hired by the federal government to collect funds that are owed the government (see 1605090037). Congress provided a special exemption for federal debt collectors in last year’s budget deal, the Bipartisan Budget Act, and the FCC is drawing up rules. The CFPB said it has broad authority to oversee debt collection. The FCC NPRM “appropriately does not suggest in any way that Section 301 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 was intended to weaken consumer financial protections under the Bureau’s authority or to limit the Bureau’s exercise of its authority,” the CFPB commented. “It would provide greater certainty to many stakeholders if the FCC in connection with this rulemaking were to state expressly its understanding that Section 301 affects the TCPA and its implementing regulations but does not affect other laws, including specifically those for which the Bureau has responsibility.” The CFPB is the independent federal agency responsible for consumer protection in the financial sector, created in 2010 as part of the Dodd-Frank Act, which was approved in the wake of the near collapse of parts of the financial sector in 2007-2008.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said the FCC should clarify its limited role in a follow-up order on a narrow aspect of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act -- providing an exception for companies hired by the federal government to collect funds that are owed the government (see 1605090037). Congress provided a special exemption for federal debt collectors in last year’s budget deal, the Bipartisan Budget Act, and the FCC is drawing up rules. The CFPB said it has broad authority to oversee debt collection. The FCC NPRM “appropriately does not suggest in any way that Section 301 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 was intended to weaken consumer financial protections under the Bureau’s authority or to limit the Bureau’s exercise of its authority,” the CFPB commented. “It would provide greater certainty to many stakeholders if the FCC in connection with this rulemaking were to state expressly its understanding that Section 301 affects the TCPA and its implementing regulations but does not affect other laws, including specifically those for which the Bureau has responsibility.” The CFPB is the independent federal agency responsible for consumer protection in the financial sector, created in 2010 as part of the Dodd-Frank Act, which was approved in the wake of the near collapse of parts of the financial sector in 2007-2008.

Switzerland is now on the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's lower-tier watch list for copyright and other intellectual property rights violations, USTR said April 27 in its annual Special 301 report on the global status of IP rights enforcement (here). China and India remain on USTR's mid-tier priority watch list, which includes nine other countries, because ongoing IP rights enforcement problems outweigh efforts to reform both nations' IP laws. USTR again chose not to include any countries on its higher-tier priority foreign country list.

Switzerland is now on the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's lower-tier watch list for copyright and other IP rights violations, USTR said Wednesday in its annual Special 301 report on the global status of IP rights enforcement. China and India remain on USTR's mid-tier priority watch list, which includes nine other countries, because ongoing IP rights enforcement problems outweigh efforts to reform both nations' IP laws. USTR again chose not to include any countries on its higher-tier priority foreign country list.

Switzerland is now on the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's lower-tier watch list for copyright and other IP rights violations, USTR said Wednesday in its annual Special 301 report on the global status of IP rights enforcement. China and India remain on USTR's mid-tier priority watch list, which includes nine other countries, because ongoing IP rights enforcement problems outweigh efforts to reform both nations' IP laws. USTR again chose not to include any countries on its higher-tier priority foreign country list.