The Arkansas Telehealth Network asked the FCC for a one- year extension of the June 30, 2010, deadline for funding under the commission’s Rural Health Care Pilot Program. In a letter to the Wireline Bureau, the network also sought a waiver of a rule limiting the pilot program to three funding years. The Arkansas network received preliminary approval in the first request for proposals, but a long review at the Universal Service Administrative Co. and “staggered adoption and implementation” of rules and details related to participant sustainability plans “have pushed the timeframe for completion well behind schedule,” it said. “While ATN and the Commission are working together to identify solutions … the fact is that despite ATN’s concerted good-faith efforts a majority of the steps necessary for ATN to obtain funding commitments by the current June 30, 2010 deadline have not been completed, and the timely completion of such steps by the deadline is in serious jeopardy.”
Commerce Secretary Locke issued a statement on the release of the September 2009 U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services Report, which indicated U.S. exports increased by 2.9 percent since August 2009, while imports increased 5.8 percent. Exports rose for the fifth consecutive month. (Press release, dated 11/13/09, available at http://www.commerce.gov/NewsRoom/PressReleases_FactSheets/PROD01_008612)
The Arkansas Telehealth Network asked the FCC for a one- year extension of the June 30, 2010, deadline for funding under the commission’s Rural Health Care Pilot Program. In a letter to the Wireline Bureau, the network also sought a waiver of a rule limiting the pilot program to three funding years. The Arkansas network received preliminary approval in the first request for proposals, but a long review at the Universal Service Administrative Co. and “staggered adoption and implementation” of rules and details related to participant sustainability plans “have pushed the timeframe for completion well behind schedule,” it said. “While ATN and the Commission are working together to identify solutions … the fact is that despite ATN’s concerted good-faith efforts a majority of the steps necessary for ATN to obtain funding commitments by the current June 30, 2010 deadline have not been completed, and the timely completion of such steps by the deadline is in serious jeopardy.”
The International Trade Administration has issued the final results of its antidumping duty administrative review of polyethylene retail carrier bags from Malaysia for the period of August 1, 2007 through July 31, 2008.
The International Trade Administration has made a preliminary affirmative antidumping determination that oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from China are being, or are likely to be, sold in the U.S. at less than fair value.
On November 6, 2009, Brazil's Foreign Trade Chamber (CAMEX) issued its preliminary list of U.S. products that could be subject to additional duties of up to 100%, as the U.S. has not complied with World Trade Organization findings in the Brazil-initiated WTO dispute over U.S. subsidies provided to its producers, users and/or exporters of upland cotton.
1. 2010 U.S.-Chile FTA Agriculture TRQs Open January 4th
The ongoing battle over RealNetwork’s RealDVD DVD- copying technology will go to another round. As expected, RealNetworks appealed a federal court’s ruling that its technology violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and also breached its license for DVD’s Content Scramble System (WID Aug 13 p3). In an 86-page brief filed late Monday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District, RealNetworks argued that the lower court erred on placing a preliminary injunction against the sale of its software and related RealDVD hardware devices. It said the August ruling by U.S. District Judge Marilyn Patel didn’t take into account “the public interest” in technologies that would let DVD owners make back-up copies of content that they'd bought and own legitimately. RealNetworks’ appeal restated its long- standing position that allowing such back-up copies won’t cause “irreparable harm” to the content owners -- as the Hollywood studios claim -- because its system prevents further serial-copying or Internet transmission of the content. RealNetworks asked the Appellate Court to remove the lower court’s injunction. No date has been set for a hearing on RealNetworks’ appeal.
The ongoing battle over RealNetwork’s RealDVD DVD- copying technology will go to another round. As expected, RealNetworks appealed a federal court’s ruling that its technology violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and also breached its license for DVD’s Content Scramble System (CED Aug 13 p4). In an 86-page brief filed late Monday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District, RealNetworks argued that the lower court erred on placing a preliminary injunction against the sale of its software and related RealDVD hardware devices. It said the August ruling by U.S. District Judge Marilyn Patel didn’t take into account “the public interest” in technologies that would let DVD owners make back-up copies of content that they'd bought and own legitimately. RealNetworks’ appeal restated its long- standing position that allowing such back-up copies won’t cause “irreparable harm” to the content owners -- as the Hollywood studios claim -- because its system prevents further serial-copying or Internet transmission of the content. RealNetworks asked the Appellate Court to remove the lower court’s injunction. No date has been set for a hearing on RealNetworks’ appeal.
The International Trade Administration frequently issues notices on antidumping and countervailing duty orders, investigations, etc. which Broker Power considers to be "minor" in importance as they concern actions that occur after an order is issued, neither announce nor cause any changes to an order's duty rates, scope, affected firms, or effective period, etc.