Comments are due May 8 at the International Trade Commission on Sharp’s April 21 complaint (login required) alleging Vizio and its suppliers, Xianyang CaiHong Optoelectronics Technology and TPV, violate five Sharp LCD patents, says Tuesday’s Federal Register, docket 337-3451. Sharp seeks limited exclusion and cease and desist orders banning imports of the allegedly infringing products. None of the proposed respondents commented Monday.
The Commerce Department’s unclear rollout of an export control on geospatial imagery software is causing industry confusion and could lead to broad, unintended impacts on exports of certain artificial intelligence, industry representatives said in interviews last week. “For these companies who now have to supply software without AI, it's like supplying a human body without blood,” said Sanjay Kumar, CEO of the World Geospatial Industry Council. “It will make it impossible for some companies to continue doing business how they were before.” The interim final rule released in January was criticized by industry for unclear definitions that made it difficult for some in the AI field to determine whether the rule applies to them. “That lack of definitions is creating, at best, confusion,” said Jennifer O’Bryan, chair of Commerce’s Sensors and Instrumentation Technical Advisory Committee. Some terms in the rule, such as deep convolutional neural networks, rotational normalization and rotational patterns, “desperately need some sort of definition to make sure that they don't intrude on certain purely commercial technology spaces that use similar AI software,” said O’Bryan, government affairs director for SPIE, an international society for optics and photonics. Stakeholders wish Commerce had issued the rule for public comment before it took effect, saying industry expertise is critical for export controls that involve complex technologies. “To put out an interim rule or a draft rule and have it go into effect immediately before there's any period of public comment just seems incongruous with the principles that we grow up with in this democracy,” said Barbara Ryan, World Geospatial Industry Council policy adviser. The department's Bureau of Industry and Security declined comment.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative granted iRobot an exclusion Wednesday to the List 3 Section 301 tariffs on the robotic vacuum cleaners it imports from China under the 8508.11.00.00 product code. IRobot applied for the exemption July 1 and based its argument partly on plans to shift production to Malaysia from China. It began producing entry-level vacuums in Malaysia in November, and said it will source additional models there later in 2020. The exclusion is retroactive to Sept. 24, 2018, when the List 3 tariffs took effect at 10%, and is valid through Aug. 7. The Trump administration hiked List 3 to 25% on March 2, 2019. IRobot estimated it incurred $37.9 million in 2019 tariff costs but had no “material” tariff expenses for 2018. It’s scheduled Tuesday to report Q1 results. IRobot’s was one of 107 exemptions granted for “specially prepared product descriptions” covering 157 “separate exclusion requests,” said USTR. IRobot is "pleased that the USTR determined that our rationale for an exclusion was appropriate, particularly in light of the tangible steps we have taken to establish our manufacturing activities in Malaysia," emailed CEO Colin Angle Thursday. "As the largest American pure-play robotics company, with over 800 U.S.-based employees and roughly half of our revenue generated domestically, we believe that an exclusion not only further supports iRobot's ability to maintain its technological and category leadership but it also helps ensure that robotics is an industry in which the U.S. continues to lead the world."
COVID-19 forced cancellation of the Sept. 4-9 IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin as a physical event, organizers Messe Berlin tweeted. "IFA Berlin is set to go ahead in 2020, but with an innovative new concept, following the decision by the Berlin government to ban all events with more than 5,000 participants" until Oct. 24, they said. Organizers "anticipated this development and for several weeks now have been discussing a range of alternative concepts," they tweeted. "Planning is well advanced for a concept that will allow IFA to deliver on its core functions for our industry," they said, albeit in the form of a virtual event. CES is proceeding as planned for Jan. 6-9 in Las Vegas, said CTA Tuesday (see 2004210057), hours before IFA cancellation.
The COVID-19 pandemic's economic impact will send global IT spending in 2020 to a 2.7% decline, reported IDC Tuesday. Hospitality and “tourism-heavy” industries likely will be the most negatively affected, with IT spending declining by 5% or more, said IDC. More "recession resistant" industries like government will fare better, increasing slightly in 2020, it said. IT spending in healthcare and telecom is “also forecast to grow slightly” as those segments “respond to new demands presented by the pandemic,” it said.
COVID-19 show cancellations have begun stretching into July. GSMA scrubbed the June 30-July 2 Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2020 show “in light of current government guidance” and the “global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak,” it said Friday. GSMA “will work with government and health authorities to find a suitable date and venue to hold regional conferences in China in the latter half of 2020,” it said. “We will confirm the feasibility of this in the coming months.” GSMA shut down February's MWC 2020 in Barcelona (see 2002120056). The National Association of Music Merchants canceled the July 9-11 Summer NAMM show in Nashville, it said Monday. “The harsh realities of this crisis make it impossible to undertake the many months of careful planning and preparation that are required for such a show,” said NAMM.
Globalstar announced a licensing deal with Jeep for its Spot satellite messaging and emergency notification technologies. Spot offers off-road enthusiasts and back-country adventurers connectivity in remote areas of the world, said Globalstar.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma and five other Senate Republicans urged the departments of Commerce, Defense, Energy and State Tuesday to “issue regulations as soon as possible confirming that U.S. participation in 5G standards-setting is not restricted by export control regulations” to ensure U.S. technology “continues to form the core of 5G foundational technology.” U.S. tech leaders “have been constrained from full participation in 5G standards-setting bodies” since Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security’s addition of Chinese equipment maker Huawei to its entity list (see 1906190054), the senators wrote Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Commerce Secretary of Wilbur Ross. “We are deeply concerned about the risks to the U.S. global leadership position” in 5G “as a result of this reduced participation, and the economic and national security implications of any diminished U.S. role in 5G.” When U.S. export controls “restrict U.S. companies from participating in standards-setting bodies,” Huawei “is well positioned to fill any gaps,” the senators said. The other GOP senators signing the letter were: John Cornyn of Texas, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Mike Crapo of Idaho, Marco Rubio of Florida and Todd Young of Indiana.
Q1 shipments of PCs, including desktops, laptops and workstations, declined 9.8% globally to 53.2 million, reported IDC. It blamed the “stark decline” on “reduced supply” from the COVID-19 outbreak in China, the world's largest supplier of PCs. Inventories were “somewhat limited” in Q1 as consumers flooded retail for connectivity tools for telework and distance learning as the U.S. began sheltering in place, said IDC Monday. “A few vendors and retailers were able to keep up with the additional demand as the threat of increased tariffs last year led to some inventory stockpiling at the end of 2019. It fears “this bump in demand may be short lived as many fear the worst is yet to come and this could lead to both consumers and businesses tightening spending in the coming months."
“Keeping Britain connected” is the “biggest contribution” Huawei can make in the U.K’s effort to defeat COVID-19, said Vice President Victor Zhang in an “open letter” Monday. “Despite this, there has been groundless criticism from some about Huawei’s involvement in the UK’s 5G rollout,” he said. “Disrupting our involvement in the 5G rollout would do Britain a disservice.” Once the crisis passes, “we look forward to continuing to play our role as a key partner in improving the networks, benefiting the economy and ultimately everyone in the UK, ending the postcode lottery of good connectivity,” he said. “Right now, by keeping Britain online, we are able to play our part in helping the country through this difficult period.”