Last week, the FCC issued a Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL) to StanaCard, LLC, a licensed provider of, among other things, prepaid international telecommunications services. StanaCard today markets its services under the brand name “Keku.” The NAL proposed to fine StanaCard $21,000 for (1) failing to notify the FCC of a pro forma change in… Continue Reading
Monthly Archives: January 2013
Foreign and Economic Espionage Penalty Enhancement Act of 2012 Signed Into Law
Posted in Intellectual PropertyIn an effort to stem the tide of intellectual property theft from U.S. companies, on January 14, 2013, President Obama signed H.R. 6029, the Foreign and Economic Espionage Penalty Enhancement Act of 2012. The Act increases the penalties for trade secret theft under the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 for crimes that the perpetrator knows… Continue Reading
China and U.S. Make Technology-Related Commitments at 23rd JCCT
Posted in Intellectual Property, Privacy & Data Security, TelecommunicationsLast month, senior officials from the U.S. and China conducted the 23rd U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) in Washington, D.C. The JCCT was founded in 1983 as a forum for high-level dialogue on bilateral trade issues. This year’s JCCT resulted in several technology-related commitments from both China and the U.S. China’s technology-related… Continue Reading
FCC Reminds Wireless Service Providers of Jan. 15, 2013, Hearing Aid Compatibility Report Deadline
Posted in Spectrum & MobileThe Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently issued an enforcement advisory reminding wireless service providers and resellers that they must report on their compliance with the hearing aid compatibility rules by January 15, 2013. Under FCC rules, most wireless service providers must offer consumers a minimum number of hearing-aid compatible phones or other handsets. The purpose… Continue Reading
U.S. “Cracks” Software Piracy Scheme: Chinese Seller and U.S. Customers Plead Guilty
Posted in Intellectual PropertyEarlier this week, Xiang Li pleaded guilty in Delaware federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Li, a Chinese national, was charged with selling “cracked” software (i.e., software for which access controls had been circumvented) to customers around the world through… Continue Reading
The European Commission Publishes a Code of EU Online Rights
Posted in UncategorizedBy Fredericka Argent and Ezra Steinhardt On 21 December 2012, the European Commission published a Code of EU Online Rights (the “Code”) as part of its on-going Digital Agenda for Europe initiative. The aim of the Code is to set out in a single, user-friendly document the minimum rights of consumers in the digital environment. … Continue Reading
European Commission Sends Statement of Objections to Samsung
Posted in Intellectual PropertyBy Hee-Eun Kim, Jennifer Boudet, and John Wileur After launching a formal investigation almost a year ago, the European Commission sent a Statement of Objections (SO) to Samsung on 21 December 2012. The Commission is taking a preliminary view that Samsung’s actions seeking injunctive relief against Apple in various EU countries based on its telecom… Continue Reading