NTN Communications subsidiary Buzztime Entertainment and EchoStar Communications said they teamed to launch a premium interactive trivia game service for DISH Network subscribers. They said the new in-home, multiplayer game service combined Buzztime’s proprietary Countdown trivia game format and large library of trivia game show content with EchoStar’s application software to allow DISH Network subscribers to play the games on their existing satellite set-top boxes. The companies said any DISH Network customer with access could subscribe to the trivia game service for $3.99 per month. Subscribers can choose from 6 categories of games: General trivia, movies and TV, music, sports, history, kids. They said up to 4 players at a time per set-top box would be able to play against each other using Buzztime’s Pass the Remote user interface. The software application for the trivia game service was written for OpenTV’s iTV middleware technology and the companies said DISH Network subscribers with various OpenTV-enabled receivers can use their remote controls to access interactive TV programs: Model 3900, 4900, DISH 111, DISH 301, DISH 311, DISH 322, DISH 501, DISH 508, DISH Player-DVR 510 and DISH Player-DVR 522.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a notice announcing that it is reopening until May 14, 2004 the comment period for its interim final rule on prior notice of imported food shipments.

EchoStar is asking the U.S. Dist. Court, Denver, for a jury trial and damages in 2 separate piracy lawsuits the company filed last week. One suit alleges Mediacom Communications Corp. was providing local ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX programming in Ga. using a residential subscription to EchoStar’s Dish Network. EchoStar said an investigator from its Signal Integrity division created a test pattern that would be transmitted to EchoStar’s subscribers in the Bainbridge, Ga. area during commercial breaks of network programming: “While the DISH Network signal was interrupted with a pre-selected test pattern, Investigator [Gary] Palka was able to videotape the patterns appearing on the [TV] sets of 2 individuals and separate Mediacom subscribers who did not have Dish Network satellite receivers.” EchoStar said it doesn’t have an agreement with Mediacom, nor had it authorized Mediacom to rebroadcast the Atlanta affiliate channels to customers. EchoStar seeks relief on 4 counts, including violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act “because [Mediacom has] circumvented EchoStar’s technological measures that effectively control access to the Dish Network satellite [TV] subscription programming services and the copyrighted works that it broadcasts.” EchoStar asked the court for a permanent injunction from wrongful retransmission of the programming and from representing “to current and potential subscribers that Mediacom is able to offer local channels to the Bainbridge, [Ga.] viewing area.” Additionally, EchoStar asked for unspecified damages, punitive damages and fees. Separately, EchoStar filed a suit against a Canadian man, Booker Cornea, for selling devices on eBay which would aid users in stealing EchoStar’s signal. In the district court filing, EchoStar said it reported to eBay 3 separate occasions when Cornea had posted items described as either 301 Dish Network receivers or Bell ExpressVu 3100 receivers. EchoStar said that items described as Bell ExpressVu receivers appeared in pictures to have Dish Network logos. While the descriptions of the items on eBay didn’t mention piracy or signal theft explicitly, EchoStar said they did mention the inclusion of “box keys” -- a number unique to each receiver which is used to pair a receiver to a specific access card -- and the removal of JTAG ports -- a device located at the bottom of the receiver which EchoStar uses to load test software but which is used by pirates to reprogram the box to receive encrypted signals for free. EchoStar alleges Cornea posted 5 separate items for sale on eBay. After eBay removed the items as requested by EchoStar, Cornea filed a counter notice with eBay, and said 3 of the items didn’t “involve infringing materials or uses.” EchoStar asked for relief including a permanent injunction against Cornea and his employees and unspecified awards of costs and damages.

EchoStar is asking the U.S. Dist. Court, Denver, for a jury trial and damages in 2 separate piracy lawsuits the company filed last week. One suit alleges Mediacom Communications Corp. was providing local ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX programming in Ga. using a residential subscription to EchoStar’s Dish Network. EchoStar said an investigator from its Signal Integrity division created a test pattern that would be transmitted to EchoStar’s subscribers in the Bainbridge, Ga. area during commercial breaks of network programming: “While the DISH Network signal was interrupted with a pre-selected test pattern, Investigator [Gary] Palka was able to videotape the patterns appearing on the [TV] sets of 2 individuals and separate Mediacom subscribers who did not have Dish Network satellite receivers.” EchoStar said it doesn’t have an agreement with Mediacom, nor had it authorized Mediacom to rebroadcast the Atlanta affiliate channels to customers. EchoStar seeks relief on 4 counts, including violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act “because [Mediacom has] circumvented EchoStar’s technological measures that effectively control access to the Dish Network satellite [TV] subscription programming services and the copyrighted works that it broadcasts.” EchoStar asked the court for a permanent injunction from wrongful retransmission of the programming and from representing “to current and potential subscribers that Mediacom is able to offer local channels to the Bainbridge, [Ga.] viewing area.” Additionally, EchoStar asked for unspecified damages, punitive damages and fees. Separately, EchoStar filed a suit against a Canadian man, Booker Cornea, for selling devices on eBay which would aid users in stealing EchoStar’s signal. In the district court filing, EchoStar said it reported to eBay 3 separate occasions when Cornea had posted items described as either 301 Dish Network receivers or Bell ExpressVu 3100 receivers. EchoStar said that items described as Bell ExpressVu receivers appeared in pictures to have Dish Network logos. While the descriptions of the items on eBay didn’t mention piracy or signal theft explicitly, EchoStar said they did mention the inclusion of “box keys” -- a number unique to each receiver which is used to pair a receiver to a specific access card -- and the removal of JTAG ports -- a device located at the bottom of the receiver which EchoStar uses to load test software but which is used by pirates to reprogram the box to receive encrypted signals for free. EchoStar alleges Cornea posted 5 separate items for sale on eBay. After eBay removed the items as requested by EchoStar, Cornea filed a counter notice with eBay, and said 3 of the items didn’t “involve infringing materials or uses.” EchoStar asked for relief including a permanent injunction against Cornea and his employees and unspecified awards of costs and damages.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a notice announcing that it is withdrawing its June 20, 2002 proposed rule that would have, among other things, allowed inspectors from APHIS to require that cargo be returned to the port of first arrival or, if convenient, another location as specified by APHIS for inspection when necessary.

Two Harvey Electronics investors who pushed for selling or merging the chain, or taking it private, have reduced their stake in the metropolitan N.Y.C. operation, according to documents filed at the SEC. Matthew Larson, an exec. investments dir. at Oppenheimer, and his wife, Alicia, sold 64,000 shares March 4-12 for $93,662, reducing their investment to 301,600 shares (9%), the filing said. The Larsons owned 365,800 shares (11%) last fall after buying 37,000 in 11 transactions between July and Sept. Matthew Larson has called the chain “well managed,” but said he believed Harvey’s $2.85 million market cap didn’t mesh with its annual sales of $42-$43 million.

The Washington Trade Daily (WTD) reports that the AFL-CIO has filed a Section 301 petition with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) urging bilateral negotiations with China to correct what it believes are China's inadequate labor practices and laws. The AFL-CIO asserts that these practices and laws are tantamount to unfair trade practices. (WTD Pub 03/17/04, www.washingtontradedaily.com)

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a proposed rule which would amend its regulations at 7 CFR Part 319 regarding the importation of wheat from regions affected with Karnal bunt.

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reopened until April 7, 2004, the comment period for a proposed rule to amend its regulations regarding the importation of animals and animal products to recognize, and add Canada to, a category of regions that present a minimal risk of introducing bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) into the U.S. via live ruminants and ruminant products.

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has issued a notice announcing that the U.S. and Vietnam have amended the existing U.S.-Vietnam textile and apparel visa arrangement in order to implement the Electronic Visa Information System (ELVIS) for textiles and apparel that are subject to quota limits, that are produced or manufactured in Vietnam and exported on or after March 22, 2004.