Antitrust Chief Makan Delrahim is more likely to act to change the ASCAP and BMI music licensing degrees than Congress is, and any move DOJ makes in that direction is likely to be an uneasy process and complicated by the presidential election, broadcast and music licensing attorneys said in interviews this and last week. DOJ held a workshop on the possibility last month (see 2007290068). “It remains apparent from the continuing attention that the Antitrust Division is paying to the issue of consent decree reform that the DOJ may act” to modify the decrees, said Weil Gotshal intellectual property attorney Benjamin Marks, who represented the TV Music Licensing Committee. “I don’t think Congress is likely to take up the issue before the election or in the short term."
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit's 2-1 ruling Friday knocking down two FCC conditions on Charter Communications' buying Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks didn’t get to the merits (see 2008140018). It nonetheless could have implications for future consumer challenges of regulations, said cable attorneys and appellant the Competitive Enterprise Institute in interviews. Industry and public interest lawyers disagree how the ruling will affect a parallel FCC proceeding on sunsetting Charter/TWC/BHN conditions (see 2007230015).
President Donald Trump’s administration is believed nearly ready to name NTIA senior adviser Carolyn Roddy as President Donald Trump’s nominee to replace FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly, potentially as soon as the next few days, communications sector officials and lobbyists told us. Behind-the scenes wrangling between the Trump administration and Senate GOP leaders over O'Rielly's revoked renomination continued this week, with prospects for a resolution uncertain, officials and lobbyists said. Trump withdrew the renomination last week (see 2008030072). Senate Majority Whip John Thune of South Dakota and other Republicans have pressed Trump to reinstate O'Rielly (see 2008060062).
The FTC should investigate TikTok’s “consumer data collection and processing practices,” Senate Majority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Consumer Protection Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Moran, R-Kan., wrote FTC Chairman Joe Simons Thursday.
Google is seeking to intervene in the Tariff Act Section 337 investigation at the International Trade Commission into Nokia’s allegations that Lenovo computers, tablets and components infringe five patents (see 2008050008), said a motion (login required) posted Thursday in docket 337-TA-1208. The motion is "timely" because the investigation was launched just last week, and "no procedural schedule has been entered at this time," said Google.
The FCC lacks authority to act on NTIA’s petition for a rulemaking on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (see 2008030025), Vimeo said in comments to the agency in RM-11862. The FCC received 177 comments by Wednesday afternoon, almost all from individuals. The Computer & Communications Industry Association, NetChoice and Engine told us they plan to comment in opposition to NTIA’s petition.
The personal health and safety risks of COVID-19 are casting autonomous driving in a more positive public light than before the pandemic, Motional President-CEO Karl Iagnemma told an Axios webinar Tuesday. The Hyundai-Aptiv autonomous vehicle joint venture was rebranded Tuesday as Motional.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Qualcomm Tuesday in an FTC antitrust lawsuit against the company. In the minutes after the ruling, Qualcomm's stock rose, closing 2.3% higher at $108.83. The FTC is reviewing its options.
Gogo took a “devastating” Q2 hit from the COVID-19 pandemic's obliteration of commercial airline passenger traffic, said CEO Oakleigh Thorne on a Monday investor call. “It certainly was an extraordinary quarter, but for all the wrong reasons,” he said. “If you sell internet on an airplane and no one’s on the plane, it’s tough to make a living.”
The U.S. government shouldn’t force a TikTok sale to any particular company, but the Chinese app’s data practices are an unacceptable security threat, Senate Republicans told us last week. The company is defending itself through lobbying, interviews and other public actions.