ICANN is seeking feedback on a proposed review mechanism for dealing with “perceived inconsistent expert determinations on string confusion objections [SCOs],” it said Feb. 11 (http://xrl.us/bqnape). Inconsistent resolution of similar new generic top-level domain (gTLD) string applications popped up as an issue last year, when the International Center for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) issued conflicting opinions on whether some strings were so similar that they could create user confusion if they were both delegated into the root zone (WID Nov 27 p3). ICANN’s proposal addresses only the different rulings on .cam/.com and .car/.cars, a focus one domain player criticized as too narrow and another as appropriate.
Correction: The Commerce Department on Feb. 5 issued a notice announcing the extension of the due date of its preliminary determinations in the antidumping duty investigations on monosodium glutamate from China and Indonesia until May 1 (see 14020415).
The Commerce Department will require antidumping duty cash deposits on oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from India, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam (A-533-857, A-565-802, A-517-804, A-583-850, A-549-832, A-489-816, A-823-815, A-552-817) after preliminarily finding companies from those countries undersold the product in the U.S., it said in a fact sheet issued Feb. 18. Commerce also preliminarily found that OCTG from South Korea is not being dumped in the U.S., so it will not require AD duty cash deposits on imports of OCTG from South Korea. The next step is Commerce’s final determination, currently scheduled for July 8. At that time, Commerce may reverse its finding for South Korea and require AD duty cash deposits on OCTG from that country.
The Commerce Department published notices in the Feb. 18 Federal Register on the following AD/CV duty proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CV duty rates, scope, affected firms, or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):
Antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on crystalline silicon photovoltaic products from China and Taiwan will continue, after the International Trade Commission on Feb. 14 voted that U.S. industry may be injured by dumped and illegally subsidized imports. The commission voted 4-0 in favor of a preliminary injury finding, with two of the commissioners not participating in the investigation.
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the Commerce Department posted to CBP's website Feb. 14, 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 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 PS4 reclaimed the top spot on the U.S. videogame hardware sales chart last month, its third month of availability, according to NPD’s latest sales data. Sony’s console sold “nearly double as many units” in January (actually Jan. 5-Feb. 1) as “its nearest next-gen competitor,” NPD analyst Liam Callahan told us Friday, confirming a statement by Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) at the PlayStation Blog. The PS4’s nearest next-generation console rival is the Xbox One.
The Commerce Department will retroactively suspend liquidation back to Sept. 20 for some entries of steel threaded rod from India (C-533-856), after preliminarily finding “critical circumstances” in its countervailing duty investigation. The agency found that Babu Exports and the “all others” companies not under individual investigation ramped up exports before the preliminary determination of illegal subsidization in an attempt to get as much merchandise into the U.S. as possible before CV duties were imposed.
The Commerce Department made a preliminary affirmative antidumping determination that steel threaded rod from India (A-533-855) is being sold in the U.S. at less than fair value. The agency will impose AD duty cash requirements on all Indian companies, and will make cash deposits on entries from Babu Exports retroactive 90 days because of a preliminary finding of "critical circumstances." For Babu, AD duty cash deposits will be required for entries beginning Nov. 20. For Mangal Steel and all other Indian exporters, these rates take effect Feb. 18.
Oral argument in the Supreme Court’s Aereo case will be April 22, said the Supreme Court website. Though brought to the court as an appeal of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision not to grant a broadcaster-requested preliminary injunction against Aereo, both sides asked the high court to grant cert in the case (CD Jan 13 p5). Court cases in multiple jurisdictions involving both Aereo and its competitor FilmOn have been put on hold pending a decision in the high court case, which is expected to be issued by the summer.