Attorney gens. (AG) in 44 states got material that could help identify as many as 500 individuals who may have bought online child porn, Rep. Stupak (D-Mich.) said Fri. The files, sent to AGs by the House Commerce Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee, initially came to lawmakers from witnesses at a hearing earlier this year on online child sexual exploitation.

The International Trade Administration (ITA) has made a final affirmative antidumping (AD) duty determination that metal calendar slides from Japan are being, or are likely to be, sold in the U.S. at less than fair value.

The EC should not keep regulators from promoting competition if it deregulates telecom markets, the European Competitive Telecom Assn. (ECTA) said Fri. On Wed., the EC is expected to unveil recommendations on whether some of 18 markets subject to possible pre-emptive competition rules under the e-communication regulatory framework should come off that list. Last week it the Commission seemed ready to remove 7, including several retail markets (WID June 23 p9). ECTA Regulatory Affairs Head Ilsa Godlovitch, emphasizing the general and preliminary nature of her comments, told us there’s strong evidence effective pro-competition regulation drives investment and broadband takeup, “as can be seen in countries such as the U.K. [first in Europe to liberalize] and France [impressive broadband growth following regulatory intervention].” Now isn’t the time to declaw regulators, but to ensure they have strong tools to force access where needed and to prevent the kinds of behavior that undermine competitors’ business plans and investments, she said.

The European Commission (EC) plans to deregulate 7 telecom markets, including those for local, national and international calls to retail customers, the Financial Times reported Thurs. The proposal, part of EC recommendations to update its e-communication regulatory framework (NRF), won’t be unveiled formally until June 28, but enough information on it was circulating Thurs. to prompt preliminary comments from several industry players.

The European Commission (EC) plans to deregulate 7 telecom markets, the Financial Times reported Thurs. -- but apparently not broadband fiber, an attorney said. The proposal, part of EC recommendations to update its e- communication regulatory framework (NRF), won’t be unveiled formally until June 28, but enough information on it was circulating Thurs. to prompt preliminary comments from several industry players.

New Games: Half-Life 2: Episode 1 from Electronic Arts moved up one to become the best-selling PC game in the U.S., according to NPD Group data for the week ended June 10. World of Warcraft from Vivendi Games -- the previous week’s top seller -- fell to #2… Take-Two Interactive’s Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories for PS2 was again the #1- rented videogame in the U.S., according to preliminary Home Video Essentials data for the week ended June 18… Nintendo of America said its DS game New Super Mario Bros. sold more than 500,000 units in the U.S. alone during its first 35 days on sale. It boasted “that’s a sellthrough rate of more than 20 every minute since the game went on sale May 15.”

According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) administrative message, effective June 15, 2006, the International Trade Administration (ITA) discontinued the suspension of liquidation for countervailing (CV) duty purposes for certain lined paper products from India.

According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) administrative message, effective June 13, 2006, the International Trade Administration (ITA) discontinued the suspension of liquidation for countervailing (CV) duty purposes for certain lined paper products from Indonesia.

(a) The AD cash deposit for China exporters who received a separate rate in a prior segment of the AD proceeding will continue to be the rate assigned in that prior segment (except for Eurasia whose AD cash deposit rate has changed in this AD review to the China-wide rate);

Cumulus shareholders tendered more than 15 million shares in the company’s modified Dutch auction tender offer to buy up to 11.5 million shares for $11.50, the company said, leading to a preliminary proration factor of about 74%.