The ITA states that the China-wide rate applies to all entries of the subject merchandise except for entries from the four exporters individually listed above.
European data protection commissioners (DPCs) last week strongly criticized a European Commission (EC) proposal to force communications service providers to retain Internet and telephone traffic data for 12-36 months, calling the plan legally unacceptable. In a Nov. 9 preliminary opinion on the data retention proposal -- originally floated by France, the U.K., Sweden and Ireland -- the EC’s Art. 29 data protection working party said it has “considerable doubts” that the draft directive meets several criteria fundamental to human rights laws. First, DPCs said, the aim of the draft is unclear, making it impossible to know whether it’s a legitimate aim of traffic interception. Moreover, they said, such interference must respond to a “pressing social need.” “The routine, comprehensive storage of all traffic data, user and participant data proposed in the draft decision would make surveillance that is authorised in exceptional circumstances the rule,” which is clearly disproportionate to the need of the law enforcement community, the working party said. Analysis carried out by telcos shows the largest amount of data sought by law enforcement agencies isn’t more than 6 months old, DPCs said. Moreover, they said, representatives from law enforcement agencies “have failed to provide any evidence as to the need for such far reaching measures.” The Council of Europe cybercrime treaty permits individual secure storage of data on a “fast-freeze -- quick thaw” model that’s entirely adequate for preventing or prosecuting crimes, DPCs said. “It is characteristic of current legal discussions that the present proposal is being seriously discussed before the Convention on Cybercrime has entered into force in most signatory states and its practical consequences can be assessed.”
The FCC International Bureau “generally support[s]” the preliminary views of its WRC-07 Advisory Committee (CD Nov 12 p2), it said in a notice. The bureau is seeking comments on the proposals (IB 04-286) by Nov. 24, it said. Comments should also address views of the Executive Branch, as presented by NTIA, the bureau said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued messages on a number of antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CV) duty actions, many of which (marked by an * in the action column) were previously published in the Federal Register by the International Trade Administration (ITA) and summarized in International Trade Today.
In its first week available, DreamWorks Home Entertainment’s Shrek 2 was the #1-rented DVD in the U.S., Rentrak said its preliminary Home Video Essentials data for the week ended Nov. 7 showed. It said the movie earned $6.44 million on DVD alone in the week and $8.32 million in combined DVD and VHS rental revenue. The previous week’s #1 DVD -- Fox’s The Day After Tomorrow -- dropped to #3, earning an additional $5.62 million on DVD, $36.01 million to date. The only other strong new DVD release was Disney’s box office bomb Around the World in 80 Days ($3.65 million).
The FBI and DEA met with the FCC last week to ask the Commission to take into account CALEA concerns as it wraps up an air-to-ground (ATG) rule for communications made on commercial airliners, including broadband. Meanwhile, an ATG order is on circulation on the 8th floor and could be finalized before the Commission’s Dec. 15 agenda meeting, we learned. Chmn. Powell could schedule a vote at the meeting if Commissioners otherwise don’t finish voting on the order.
Take-Two Interactive’s PS2 exclusive Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was again the #1-rented videogame in the U.S., Rentrak said its preliminary Home Video Essentials data for the week ended Nov. 7 showed. The game earned an additional $1.07 million in the week, for $2.25 million to date. But Electronic Arts (EA) had the most titles in the top 10, with 3 -- all for PS2: Madden NFL 2005 at #4 (up 2 in its 13th week, $217,410 in the week and $4.03 million to date), Def Jam: Fight for N.Y. at #8 (up 4 in its 7th week, $150,165 and $1.42 million) and NCAA Football 2005 at #9 (up 2 in its 17th week, $149,848 and $3.21 million). Activision had 2 titles in the top 10, both for PS2: Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 at #2 again in its 5th week ($267,121 and $1.52 million) and X- Men: Legends at #10 (down 3 in its 7th week, $149,154 and $1.20 million). Rounding out the top 10 were Midway’s Mortal Kombat: Deception for PS2 at #3 again in its 5th week ($219,272 and $1.24 million), LucasArts Entertainment’s Star Wars: Battlefront for PS2 at #5 (down one in its 7th week, $177,735 and $1.72 million), THQ’s WWE Smackdown! vs. Raw for PS2 at #6 in its first week ($174,740) and Microsoft’s Fable for Xbox at #7 (up one in its 8th week, $158,052 and $1.47 million).
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued the final results of the antidumping (AD) duty administrative review of certain non-frozen apple juice concentrate from China for the period of June 1, 2002 through May 31, 2003.
The U.S. and U.K. could be headed for a conflict over the need for the World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC) to approve a comprehensive overhaul of Articles 9 and 11 of world Radio Regulations. The FCC Advisory Committee for the WRC approved a resolution Wed. opposing those efforts, saying they could undermine the world satellite industry.