FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel underscored the importance of free speech and copyright protection, during a speech Wednesday evening at a Media Institute banquet (http://xrl.us/bnzt2z). Four guidelines should govern media policy for the future, she said: Consumer choice, competition, universal access and adherence to the First Amendment. “For more than 200 years, the First Amendment has made us the world’s most fertile location for innovation and creation,” she said. “Likewise, we have a long legal history of protecting intellectual creations. Digital distribution presents new challenges, but piracy is old-fashioned theft.” The videogame industry needs a universal ratings system, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello said at the banquet (http://xrl.us/bnzt2z). Riccitiello said the ESRB and its global counterparts are working on a proposal to move beyond the current ratings system and “consolidate around a single standard, that consumers will recommend and ultimately demand. ... We need to do a much better job of informing the consumer, no matter the channel, the platform or the geography,” he said. “We must adopt a self-regulated, global rating system across every format and every geography.”

The videogame industry needs a universal ratings system, said Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello during a speech Wednesday evening at a Media Institute banquet (http://xrl.us/bnzt2z). Riccitiello said the ESRB and its global counterparts are working on a proposal to move beyond the current ratings system and “consolidate around a single standard, that consumers will recommend and ultimately demand. ... We need to do a much better job of informing the consumer, no matter the channel, the platform or the geography,” he said. “We must adopt a self-regulated, global rating system across every format and every geography.” In a separate speech at the same event, FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said four guidelines should govern media policy for the future: Consumer choice, competition, universal access and adherence to the First Amendment. “For more than 200 years, the First Amendment has made us the world’s most fertile location for innovation and creation,” she said. “Likewise, we have a long legal history of protecting intellectual creations. Digital distribution presents new challenges, but piracy is old-fashioned theft.”

A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to CBP's website Nov. 13, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at http://addcvd.cbp.gov. (CBP occasionally adds backdated messages without otherwise indicating which message was added. ITT will include a message date in parentheses in such cases.)

The International Trade Administration published notices in the Oct. 29 Federal Register on the following AD/CV proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CV duty rates, scope, affected firms, or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):

Africa’s farmers can potentially grow enough food to feed the continent and avert future food crises if countries remove cross-border restrictions on the food trade within the region, a World Bank report said. It also said the continent would generate an extra $20 billion in yearly earnings if African leaders could dismantle trade barriers.

The U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement will take effect Oct. 31, following an exchange of diplomatic notes confirming both sides’ implementation of the agreement’s provisions on Oct. 22, the U.S. Trade Representative said. On the agreement’s effective date, Panama will immediately reduce tariffs on U.S. goods and provide access to Panama’s services market.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology posts drafts and changes to foreign technical regulations for manufactured products that may be considered technical barriers to trade. Broker Power delays its publication of these postings for 2-3 weeks because there is often a delay until NIST makes the text of the regulations available.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology posts drafts and changes to foreign technical regulations for manufactured products that may be considered technical barriers to trade. Broker Power delays its publication of these postings for 2-3 weeks as there is often a delay until NIST makes the text of the regulations available.

The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking input on a proposal to exempt from full reporting requirements, for manufacture and import, under the Toxic Substances Control Act two microorganisms, it said in a Federal Register notice scheduled for Sept. 5. Based on its evaluation of petitions to add Trichoderma reesei and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens to the list of microorganisms that may be used as recipient microorganisms, the agency has preliminarily determined that certain strains of both won't unreasonably risk injuries to health or the environment when they're used as recipient microorganisms, provided that certain criteria for the introduced genetic material and the physical containment conditions are met, it said. Anyone who imports, produces, processes or uses the microorganisms, including for basic chemical manufacturing or pesticide, fertilizer and other agricultural chemical manufacturing, are potentially affected by the action, it said.

Samsung Electronics vowed to fight on in its legal battle with Apple over allegations of intellectual property violations, saying the company “will continue to do our utmost until our arguments have been accepted” (http://xrl.us/bnnd6h). A jury for the U.S. District Court of Northern California said late Friday that Samsung infringed on multiple Apple design and utility patents related to Apple’s iPhone products, awarding Apple more than $1 billion in damages. The jury did not find for any of the claims Samsung made in a countersuit, in which the company sought $421 million in damages, according to court documents.