Deploying Internet and telephony services as widely as possible is “almost universal” goal of 140 countries attending this month’s World Telecom Development Conference (WTDC), State Dept.’s David Gross said Thurs. at news briefing from Istanbul. Gross, agency’s coordinator- international communications & information policy, is member of U.S. delegation to ITU Development Section conference that also includes NTIA representatives and FCC Comr. Martin, who participated in Thurs. briefing. Since Mon., Gross and other members of U.S. group have been holding information-gathering talks with regulators and telecom ministers from other nations, and more formal bilateral sessions with ministers from countries such as Cameroon, China, Mexico, Morocco, Russia, Senegal and Uganda, Gross said. Among other topics, he said, they had discussed telecom reform efforts, universal service and access, convergence and ITU reform issues. Countries such as Mexico, which are seeing convergence of different communications technologies, are facing many of same challenges U.S. is confronting, Gross said, including how to revamp traditional “stove-pipe” regulatory model. In its discussions with Mexican delegates, he said, U.S. tried to convey importance of having independent regulators to foster competition and private sector investment. However, he said, he also emphasized that while regulation was important when one player had significant market power, “regulatory light hand” was more appropriate where competition existed. With China, Gross said, U.S. discussed importance of creating effective, independent regulator as quickly as possible and reminded Chinese delegates that model for such regulatory system already existed in Hong Kong. Delegates have offered numerous proposals for WTDC activities in coming 4 years, Gross said earlier this week (CD March 19 p6). Thurs. he said proposals now had been consolidated and assigned to various committees. Martin said one U.S. proposal was to have ITU reflect more formally idea of enforcement by regulatory authorities. Proposal isn’t tailored to any specific area of enforcement, Gross added. It simply attempts to convey idea it’s not enough for regulatory body to tell parties what they should do -- it also must have adequate tools to back up its rules, he said. WTDC could lead to national policy decisions on Internet and telecom issues, Gross said. First, he said, it provides “extraordinary opportunity” for ministerial-level representatives to exchange views on telecom reform and marketing ideas that can directly affect national policies. Nature of that dialog has changed over years, he said, to point where it’s hard to find any country that isn’t now committed to privatization, independent regulatory scheme, rule of law. “They speak the language we speak now,” he said, and challenge for everyone is how to implement those goals. In addition, Gross said, some formal resolutions will result from WTDC that will lay groundwork for action at ITU plenipotentiary session later this year. That meeting could produce treaty-based set of decisions, he said. WTDC concludes next Wed.
Introduction late Thurs. of long-expected but controversial legislation that would require copyright, consumer electronics (CE) and information technology (IT) industries to craft standards for digital rights protection - - or have govt. do it for them -- brought cheers from content owners. Proposed “Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act of 2002” (S-2048) was filed by Commerce Committee Chmn. Hollings (D-S.C.) and co-sponsored by Sens. Stevens (R-Alaska), Inouye (D-Hawaii), Breaux (D-La.), Nelson (D-Fla.) and Feinstein (D-Cal.). S-2048 would require industries to develop copyright protection standards, technologies and encoding rules within one year, Hollings said. Technologies would be incorporated in all digital media devices. Content delivered over Internet and in broadcast signals would include instructions to consumers about their ability to copy content and would bar illegal transmission of material. Devices such as TV, cable boxes and PCs would have to be manufactured to recognize and respond to those instructions. Rules to be developed would have to preserve fair-use rights for educational and research purposes and legitimate consumer copying, Hollings said. If private sector failed to come up with standards and rules, S- 2048 would require FCC to implement technologically feasible solutions in consultation with same industries.
Belgian Parliament is poised to open public debate on communications spy systems next week in move to persuade govt. to step up privacy protections. In report issued March 12, Belgian Senate intelligence and security committee and House police services panel said Belgian citizens were being spied on and recommended creating European intelligence service and barring any sort of espionage or economic spying among European Union (EU) members. Report followed -- and built upon -- resolution adopted last Sept. by European Parliament (EP) that confirmed existence of global spy network dubbed “ECHELON” but was unable to find proof U.S. was using system, said to be able to intercept satellite, fax, Internet and other communications. Nevertheless, EP recommended EU states adopt laws protecting privacy of their citizens and businesses and urged EU and U.S. to step up international rules and data and privacy protection.
Copyright owners, Webcasters and broadcasters blasted Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel (CARP) report setting rates of $.07 per performance of streamed radio broadcasts (CD Feb 21 p8). In separate petitions seeking modification of CARP report, all parties characterized rates as unreasonable, albeit for different reasons. They also assailed panel’s decision to base its rate structure on RIAA’s licensing agreement with Yahoo.
Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel (CARP) ruling setting rates for Internet radio broadcasting (CD Feb 21 p8) managed to aggravate all sides and is raising privacy issues as well, panelists said Thurs. at D.C. Bar Assn. discussion on Webcasting and digital music. Report set rates of 0.014 cents to 0.14 cents per Webcast performance, plus ephemeral license fee of 9%, depending on type of media. Webcasting fees will be retroactive to effective date of Digital Millennium Copyright Act (Oct. 1998), and first payments will be due around June if CARP report is accepted by Copyright Office.
Proposal for applying compulsory licenses to on-demand streams and limited downloads has prompted strong criticism from some in online music arena. Comments, posted Tues. by Copyright Office, respond to office’s Dec. 14 request for comments on tentative agreement signed by RIAA, National Music Publishers’ Assn. (NMPA) and Harry Fox Agency (HFA) last Oct. Agreement for Internet music subscription services was to give RIAA, its member labels and new online services such as pressplay and MusicNet immediate access to every musical work authorized to be licensed by HFA, which then would issue licenses for both streamed music and limited downloads.
Contrary to popular myth, Disney isn’t trying to protect existing offline distribution system for its content, stop home taping or undermine the copyright law doctrine of fair use, Disney Exec. Vp-Govt. Relations Preston Padden said Thurs. Media giant is “eager for the day” when consumers can deal directly with it online rather than through middlemen such as video rental stores, he said. Furthermore, Padden said, “we have no interest” in preventing people from making copies of movies for their own use at home. Padden’s comments came during Warren Communications News audioconference on govt.’s role in digital rights management (DRM) and growth of broadband.
U.S. telecom industry group will meet next week to try to flesh out what American electronic numbering (ENUM) system should look like. ENUM, protocol standard developed by Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), meshes telephony with Internet by linking phone numbers with domain name system (DNS). While IETF Request for Comment (RFC 2916) sets out basic framework for ENUM system, architecture that will drive it still is under discussion by several organizations here and abroad. One is ENUM Forum, U.S. industry consortium that meets Jan. 22-25 in Austin, Tex., to try to reach agreement on implementing RFC 2916, said Telcordia’s Gary Richenaker, chmn. of group.
Responding to Dec. 7 Copyright Office order squelching proposed settlement for royalty fees applicable to online streaming of radio programs, broadcasters and recording industry Wed. asked rate-setting panel to back their agreement. Move came during Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel (CARP) convened to set rates covering digital performance rights in sound and ephemeral recordings for both Webcasters and FCC-licensed broadcasters who streamed their radio shows on Internet. CARP arbitrators are to submit their report Feb. 20.
While Bush Administration isn’t yet “frustrated to point of legislation” about lag in broadband deployment, it’s looking at ways to “generate some heat and maybe a little light” on issue, Commerce Undersecy. Phillip Bond said Mon. Challenge to greater broadband use is that despite its availability to 85% of U.S. homes, only about 10% have signed up, Asst. Secy. Bruce Mehlman said. Surveys point to several problems, he said: (1) Cost. (2) Concern over lack of “plug-and-play” equipment. (3) Belief among many that broadband is solely office service. (4) Lack of consumer dissatisfaction with current services. (5) Absence of killer content. Govt. can help promote broadband use by educating people about its value and launching e-govt. services, Mehlman said, but most important work must be done by technologists, engineers, entrepreneurs. Unlocking content is key, he said. Comments came at a Commerce Dept. Technology Administration workshop on “Understanding Broadband Demand: Digital Content & Rights Management.”