Sony will apply to trademark a new 8K HDR logo and “allow it to run its official process” at the Patent and Trademark Office, spokesperson Cheryl Goodman emailed us Tuesday. The new logo, unveiled at CES, differs slightly from the octagonal 8K HDR mark that PTO rejected on grounds that it was “merely descriptive” of Sony’s goods. The agency also cited trademark case law in ruling that the logo's black and gold graphics didn’t “create an inherently distinctive commercial impression.” PTO declared the application abandoned Feb. 2 after Sony let lapse the six-month deadline for challenging the refusal (see 1902040020). Sony ran into similar problems at PTO trying to trademark the 4K HDR logo it introduced three years ago at CES (see 1601060049). The agency killed that application Feb. 4. The 4K HDR logo is “freely available for use,” said Goodman.
Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen shot down an analyst who questioned Wednesday whether it makes sense for Dish to discuss a joint venture with AT&T’s DirecTV to "share costs" amid subscriber declines for both "core" satellite TV businesses. “If they’re sticking a gun to your head and taking HBO away, you’re probably not having a lot of conversations,” said Ergen of AT&T on a Q4 call (replay here). “We’re not real good at guns at our heads.”
As Samsung began taking preorders this week on 8K smart TVs (see 1902110050), Chris Chinnock, executive director of the 8K Association, reports little new progress getting Samsung-inspired 8KA off the ground. The nonprofit was formed at CES to address 8K, including challenges of procuring native content and encouraging launch of 8K streaming services (see 1901100027). IHS Markit doesn’t see 8K TVs as a large opportunity for some time, emailed Paul Gagnon, executive director-research and analysis, Tuesday. IHS forecasts all vendors this year will ship 43,000 8K TVs in North America, 338,000 sets globally. Panasonic’s participation shows 8KA has global ambitions. Panasonic is collaborating with NHK to bring 8K broadcasts to Japanese consumers by the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. Chinnock saw a report Monday that Samsung officials are "reaching out to their competitors,” including LG Electronics and Sony, to join 8KA. “We will invite them,” he told us. LGE declined comment Tuesday. Sony said Tuesday it won't join 8KA because it thinks 8K "definition" work is better handled by groups like CTA. 8KA hopes to “set up committees within the month to start work, which will take time, of course,” said Chinnock. The group’s website lists plans to form five committees, from promotion to content and certification, plus distribution and technology. April’s NAB Show “is on our radar for something next,” said Chinnock. “The wheels grind slowly with lots of big players.”
Millions of iPhone and MacBook owners “continue to suffer harm” through Apple’s “coercive policies” of requiring “two-factor authentication” cybersecurity protections on their devices, alleged a complaint (in Pacer) seeking class-action status. Once 2FA is enabled on a device either by default or during a software update, Apple requires owners to access their accounts through a laborious “extraneous logging in procedure” that locks them out of their devices after 14 days if they don’t comply, said the complaint Friday in U.S. District Court in San Jose. Apple “does not get user consent” to enable 2FA, a feature that interferes with consumers’ everyday use of their personal devices, in violation of the 1984 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and other statutes, it said. “When a consumer purchases an Apple device, the purchased Apple device becomes the personal property of the consumer. Apple no longer has any ownership or property rights to the Apple devices after sale.” Yet when the company enables 2FA on “owned devices,” it makes them “inaccessible for intermittent periods of time,” said the complaint. It seeks money damages and an order barring Apple from enabling 2FA without customers’ permission. The tech provider didn’t comment Monday.
Amazon “discarded” director Woody Allen and his Gravier Productions, reneging on a multimillion-dollar deal to produce and distribute four Allen films after allegations resurfaced at the start of the #MeToo movement that he sexually abused adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow in 1992. So complained (in Pacer) Allen and Gravier Thursday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. Allen denies the sexual-abuse allegations and said Amazon hired him to “develop its nascent entertainment studio,” promising him “minimum guaranteed payments” of $68 million-$73 million, plus a box office cut and other perks. Allen wrapped the first film, A Rainy Day in New York, in 2017 and delivered it for theatrical release this year, but the movie remains shelved indefinitely, it said. After Amazon Studios and Amazon Content Services used Allen to “promote and build Amazon Studios’ standing as a full-fledged film studio," they unilaterally terminated the contract without legal grounds and “refused to honor their commitments,” it said. Amazon didn’t comment.
Harmonic continues to see growing demand for its Ultra HD “solutions,” said CEO Patrick Harshman Monday on a Q4 call. Harmonic’s UHD-related sales rose 58 percent sequentially, “which continues the strong sequential UHD growth trend we saw throughout the year,” he said. “Frankly, it's been a long time coming, and we're pleased to be finally taking advantage of a growing worldwide investment cycle and deploying and monetizing high-quality ultra-high-definition programming.” The cable gearmaker expects total Q1 revenue to fall sequentially, to as low as $80 million from Q4's $113.7 million. Its outlook missed expectations, Raymond James' Simon Leopold wrote investors. "Harmonic’s business pivot has progressed, but the process will take time." The weaker guidance and other financial bad news from Casa "could fuel concerns regarding a pause in cable TV operator spending," the analyst said. Harmonic closed down 8 percent Tuesday at $4.97.
Global semiconductor shipments increased 14 percent in 2018 from the prior year to $468.8 billion, said the Semiconductor Industry Association Monday, "a new high" with "total units shipped topping 1 trillion for the first time.” China led in chip growth, monetary shipments there increasing 21 percent, said SIA, as the Americas jumped 16 percent. Apple remained the No. 2 and Samsung No. 1 semiconductor customers in 2018, with 17.9 percent total share, down 1.6 points from 2017, Gartner reported.
Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri has “absolutely no doubt" a "fast and meaningful shift to 5G is underway,” he said Thursday on a Q4 call. All signs say 2019 will be "very second-half-loaded” in the 5G transition because of the “staggered nature" of global 5G rollouts from region to region, he said. He expects “a broader ramp-up starting at the tail end of 2019 and in 2020,” he said. The 5G “ecosystem” is “in its early days,” so “development and testing are operating under considerable time pressure,” he said. Though there’s a “massive amount of 5G-ready hardware already deployed,” some of it “is waiting for the availability and acceptance of the key 5G software releases,” he said. “Those releases will come available as the year progresses.”
CTA agrees with the Congressional Budget Office “assessment” that tariffs on Chinese imports are taxes on U.S. consumers and businesses, but CBO underestimated damage the higher duties will inflict on the tech sector and U.S. economy, emailed Sage Chandler, vice president-international trade policy. CBO estimated the higher import tariffs will reduce U.S. GDP by roughly 0.1 percent yearly through 2029 (see 1901290001). “The U.S. tech industry alone is paying $1 billion a month on tariffs,” said Chandler Tuesday. “Potential short- and mid-term impact of tariffs could be more destabilizing than indicated by CBO’s analysis. Not only do tariffs increase costs for American business and slow U.S. economic growth, real potential exists -- and warning signs are already evident -- that destabilizing global supply chains may have detrimental effects that spill in to global equity markets.” CBO didn’t comment Wednesday.
“Ongoing discussions” about Foxconn plans for new manufacturing capacity in Wisconsin (see 1806280053) reflect the company's “continued commitment to the state," said Mark Hogan, CEO of Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC). "Foxconn will not qualify for tax credits until, at the earliest, 2020, and then only if the company meets its annual job creation and capital investment requirements.” WEDC's contract specified the company would earn maximum cash incentives only if it hired 13,000 employees averaging more than $53,000 in annual salary. Executives say high costs of manufacturing U.S. advanced large screens could force it to scale back any $10 billion plant there or abandon it. The company didn't comment. Landing the factory was the brainchild of then-Gov. Scott Walker (R), who lost his bid for a third term in November. President Donald Trump at a July 2017 ceremony said the project, under his watch, would mean the return of electronics manufacturing jobs. Display Supply Chain Consultants “heard from equipment companies over the past couple of months to remove this project from our fab schedules,” emailed CEO Ross Young Tuesday of the curtailment.