Legal
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Trump’s Attorney General Nominee to Recuse Himself from AT&T/Time Warner Appeal
William Barr, President Trump’s pick to replace Jeff Sessions as U.S. Attorney General, reportedly is set to recuse himself from the Department of Justice’s ongoing appeal of AT&T/Time Warner merger. Barr, who is set to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee for confirmation hearings, has about $1.2 million in AT&T stock, according to financial disclosures … Continue reading “Trump’s Attorney General Nominee to Recuse Himself from AT&T/Time Warner Appeal”
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FTC Issues Netflix Phishing Scam Alert
The Federal Trade Commission has issued an alert to Netflix subscribers about an online phishing scam that attempts to extract personal information from unsuspecting subs, among other issues. Phishing is when someone uses fake emails or texts to get users to share valuable personal information — such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, login IDs … Continue reading “FTC Issues Netflix Phishing Scam Alert”
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FTC Issues Netflix Phishing Scam Alert
The Federal Trade Commission has issued an alert to Netflix subscribers about an online phishing scam that attempts to extract personal information from unsuspecting subs, among other issues. Phishing is when someone uses fake emails or texts to get users to share valuable personal information — such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, login IDs … Continue reading “FTC Issues Netflix Phishing Scam Alert”
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Spotify Settles $1.6 Billion Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Brought by Music Publisher Representing Tom Petty and Others
Spotify has settled a $1.6 billion IP lawsuit alleging the music subscription streaming service failed to get physical clearances and properly compensate artists, among other issues. New York-based Spotify, which reportedly has 75 million active subscribers and 170 million monthly users, and Wixen Music Publishing – whose clients include the late Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks … Continue reading “Spotify Settles $1.6 Billion Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Brought by Music Publisher Representing Tom Petty and Others”
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Charter Agrees to Record $174.2 Million Legal Settlement Regarding Fraudulent Internet Speed Claims
Cable operator Charter Communications (a.k.a. Charter Spectrum) has agreed to pay the state of New York $174.2 million to settle a consumer fraud allegation regarding its Internet speed claims. The settlement – following unsuccessful appeals by Charter – is considered the largest-ever consumer payout by an Internet Service Provider in U.S. history. Charter’s 700,000 ISP … Continue reading “Charter Agrees to Record $174.2 Million Legal Settlement Regarding Fraudulent Internet Speed Claims”
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Federal Appeals Court Questions DOJ Economic Concerns Regarding AT&T/Time Warner Union
Federal Appeals Court judges Dec. 6 questioned lawyers representing the Department of Justice about the government’s economic concerns regarding AT&T’s $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner. The Justice Department’s antitrust division filed an appeal of a district court judge’s June approval of the merger that resulted in the formation of WarnerMedia — citing the deal … Continue reading “Federal Appeals Court Questions DOJ Economic Concerns Regarding AT&T/Time Warner Union”
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Parent Group Calls on Congress to Pass ‘Family Movie Act Clarification Act’ as Christmas Gift
The Parents Television Group, the longstanding censorship advocacy group founded by Christian conservatives, Dec. 5 called upon House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to pass the “Family Movie Act Clarification Act of 2018” (H.R. 6816) before lawmakers break for the winter holidays Dec. 14. The bill seeks to amend the “Family … Continue reading “Parent Group Calls on Congress to Pass ‘Family Movie Act Clarification Act’ as Christmas Gift”
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Italy Looking to Legalize Theatrical Window
Italian lawmakers are moving to make law the country’s 105-day theatrical window granting exhibitors exclusive access to new release feature films ahead of home entertainment and over-the-top video. Culture Minister Alberto Bonisoli said the move was aimed at protecting the country’s cinemas against SVOD services such as Netflix, which typically makes its original movies concurrently available … Continue reading “Italy Looking to Legalize Theatrical Window”
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AT&T CEO Calls on Congress to Restore Net Neutrality
AT&T chairman/CEO Randall Stephenson apparently believes in miracles. Speaking Nov. 12 at the Wall Street Journal’s WSJ Tech D. Live confab in Laguna Beach, Calif., Stephenson called on politically-divided Congress to enact net neutrality guidelines for the nation’s Internet service providers. It was wishful thinking, Stephenson agreed, joking the lawmakers can’t agree on the freezing temperature … Continue reading “AT&T CEO Calls on Congress to Restore Net Neutrality”
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U.S. Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Net Neutrality Appeals Court Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court Nov. 5 declined to hear a case brought by the telecommunications industry and the Department of Justice seeking to reverse a lower appeals court ruling upholding Obama-era regulations that treated the Internet as a utility. The Federal Communications Commission under President Trump reversed the regulations in 2017. Through the Obama-era guidelines … Continue reading “U.S. Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Net Neutrality Appeals Court Ruling”