Legislative Activity House Communications Subcommittee Approves STELA Reuthorization Bill Last Tuesday, March 25, the House Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology approved a bipartisan version of legislation to reauthorize the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act (STELA). The updated version leaves open the question of blocking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from adopting new rules … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Passes Cell Phone Unlocking Bill Last Tuesday, February 25, the House passed the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act (H.R. 1123). The legislation, introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), is intended to promote consumer choice and wireless competition by permitting consumers to unlock their mobile wireless devices without … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Do Not Track Kids Act Of 2013 Introduced Last Thursday, November 14, the Do Not Track Kids Act of 2013 (S. 1700 and H.R. 3481) was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL), and in the House by Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) and Rep. Bobby Rush … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Commerce Committee Holds Hearing On Patent Demand Letters Last Thursday, November 7, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a hearing titled “Demand Letters and Consumer Protection: Examining Deceptive Practices by Patent Assertion Entities.” Committee members heard testimony from the attorney general of Nebraska and various stakeholders from the technology industry. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Rep. Goodlatte Introduces Patent Litigation Reform Bill Last Wednesday, October 23, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) introduced the Innovation Act (H.R. 3309), intended to curtail abusive patent litigation while fostering U.S. competitiveness. The bill has received bipartisan support from cosponsors including Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and is scheduled for a hearing … Continue Reading
Legislative and Regulatory Activity E-rate Modernization The FCC adopted a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) during its Open Meeting on July 19, seeking comment on rules to update and modernize the E-rate program in order to support high-speed broadband for digital educational technology in classrooms and libraries. FCC staff indicated that they have three goals … Continue Reading
Legislative and Regulatory Activity Broadcast Incentive Auction Hearing. The U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee is reportedly planning a July 23 hearing to review Federal Communications Commission (FCC) progress on the broadcast incentive auctions mandated by the JOBS Act. The Committee has not publicly announced the hearing and the date is still tentative. Rural Broadband … Continue Reading
Legislative and Regulatory Activity Privacy The World Wide Consortium (W3C), which has led the multistakeholder effort to establish a universal Do Not Track (DNT) standard, will reach its last call deadline next Monday, July 1. In an email to members of the working group last week, W3C co-chairs Peter Swire and Matthias Schunter pledged to … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Wheeler Hearing The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a hearing on Tuesday, June 18 on the nomination of Mr. Thomas Wheeler to be Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller’s decision to move forward without a Republican nominee to fill the other vacancy on the … Continue Reading
