INTERNET
Net Brings Opportunity, Hazards For Intellectual-Property Owners
(WSJ)
Buyers Gain Online Rights In Europe (NYT)
MEDIA & SOCIETY
The Media And HIV/AIDS: What Should We Do? (MediaChannel)
Don't Blame Movies (WP) (Op-Ed)
INTERNATIONAL
Mexico Mobile-Phone Subscribers Eclipse the Number of Fixed Lines
(WSJ)
TELEVISION/CABLE
TV, Net Services Get OK To Share Airwaves With Satellite Firms (USA)
Comcast Upbeat on Talks (WP)
INTERNET
NET BRINGS OPPORTUNITY, HAZARDS FOR INTELLECTUAL-PROPERTY OWNERS
Issue: Intellectual Property
While the Internet has opened up new business opportunities for owners of
intellectual property, it has also spawned numerous legal issues by making
this property easier to disseminate (think Napster). In a recent interview
with WSJ.com, Christine Hearst Schwarzman, chairman of Ipnetwork, a New
York-based intellectual-property-management company, talked about how the
Internet can make licensing and keeping track of intellectual property more
efficient -- and the legal challenges the information superhighway brings.
According to Ms. Schwarzman, the direction of intellectual property online
is toward helping business solve problems on the Web. Ms. Schwarzman says
that the Web is a great way to manage intellectual property, and people are
increasingly turning to the Web for such help. The management of
intellectual property has been facilitated using various technology and
Web-related tools. Using technology to organize businesses makes people more
productive, claims Schwarzman. However, she cautions that managing
intellectual property online will be slow to grow. "It's not realistic to
think that it will take off like a rocket."
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (WSJ.com), AUTHOR: Jim Chairusmi]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB974781965536399507.htm)
(requires subscription)
BUYERS GAIN ONLINE RIGHTS IN EUROPE
Issue: E-Commerce
The European Union has passed rules that would allow consumers to sue in
courts of their own country an online retailer based in another union
country. European officials argue that the consumer right is essential to
help get e-commerce off the ground in Europe. The theory is that consumer
confidence will be bolstered by the certainty that they have legal recourse
in the courts of their own country. Industry representatives argue that the
regulation, which takes effect in March, will create legal uncertainty for
small companies using the Internet. "For large companies it isn't a problem,
because they have offices and lawyers in all E.U. countries," said Wim Mijs,
vice president for European Union affairs at ABN Amro, the Dutch banking
giant. Smaller online companies, however, would be burdened by extra legal
and insurance costs.
[SOURCE: New York Times (W1), AUTHOR: Paul Meller]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/01/technology/01NET.html)
MEDIA & SOCIETY
Special Report: AIDS & The Media
Issue: Media & Society
The MediaChannel has assembled articles and links that address the role of
journalists and the media in combating the public health crisis of our time:
the AIDS epidemic. Included is an original article by MediaChannel News
Dissector Danny Schechter, which asks: What's gone wrong in the media's
coverage of the AIDS crisis, and how can it be fixed?
[SOURCE: Center For Media Education]
(http://www.mediachannel.org/originals/aids.shtml)
DON'T BLAME MOVIES
Issue: Media & Society
[Op-Ed] Last week, the Federal Trade Commission announced it had decided
that the First Amendment prevents it from suing Hollywood for aggressively
marketing violence to children. Mr. Jenner is critical of the of recent
government efforts to blame society's woes on the entertainment industry. He
points out that the Supreme Court has made it clear that Congress cannot
censor movies, CDs, MP3 files, video games or comic books unless they are
constitutionally obscene. Violence, he explains, is not considered "obscene"
in the constitutional sense. Jenner says that the First Amendment would be
violated if the FTC attempted to regulate simply on the grounds that violent
movies or video games or music lyrics are "marketed" to children. "That's
the problem when politicians and bureaucrats start toying with the First
Amendment. Once the genie is out of the bottle, he doesn't want to return,"
concludes Jenner.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A35), AUTHOR: Albert E. Jenner Jr. (professor of
law at the University of Illinois and a visiting senior fellow at the Cato
Institute)]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8155-2000Nov30.html)
INTERNATIONAL
MEXICO MOBILE-PHONE SUBSCRIBERS ECLIPSE THE NUMBER OF FIXED LINES
Issue: Wireless
Mobile-phone subscribers have eclipsed the number of fixed lines in Mexico,
the Federal Telecommunications Commission said. There are 12.2 million
mobile subscribers in September and 12 million fixed lines, in a population
of 98 million people. Mobile-phone service soared after Mexico introduced a
billing system in May 1999 under which subscribers pay only for calls they
make, not those that they receive. Subscriber growth peaked at a 130.8%
annual clip in 1999. Mexico is expected to end the year with 13.1 million
mobile subscribers, or 13.3 for every 100 people, and 12.3 million fixed
lines, or 12.5 lines for every 100 people. Mexico joins Venezuela and
Paraguay as the first countries in Latin America with more mobile
subscribers than fixed lines. Brazil and Peru are expected to follow soon.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (Interactive), AUTHOR: Dow Jones Newswires]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB975615673746966174.htm)
(requires subscription)
TELEVISION/CABLE
TV, NET SERVICES GET OK TO SHARE AIRWAVES WITH SATELLITE FIRMS
Issue: Broadcasting
The Federal Communications Commission has decided to allow new TV and
Internet services to share a part of the airwaves now used by direct
broadcast satellite (DBS) companies. On Thursday the FCC announced the its
intent to seek comments on technical and service issues for the sharing of
the frequency band now used by DirecTV and EchoStar. It remains unclear
which players will get licenses and whether they'll be given the spectrum or
have to bid for it in an auction. Northpoint Technology, a land-based
wireless upstart seeking to offer cable, broadcast and Internet access, and
Pegasus Communications, a reseller of DirecTV service are both jockeying to
share the DBS frequency.
[SOURCE: USAToday (7B), AUTHOR: Becky Yerak]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20001201/2882303s.htm)
COMCAST UPBEAT ON TALKS
Issue: Cable
Yesterday, Comcast said that it is close to reaching an agreement with Walt
Disney over their dispute on cable programming. Disney has threatened to
rescind Comcast's right to carry local ABC programming and ESPN sports
programming in several major cities unless Comcast provides wider
distribution of the Disney and Toon Disney cable channels. "This is going to
be over pretty shortly," said Comcast Executive Vice President Dave Watson.
"We are very focused to make sure that all the programming our customers
want will stay on." Before the agreement is reached, however, Comcast will
have to settle on how much it will pay for rights to air ESPN. It also has
not decided whether to let Disney increase its minority stake in the E!
Entertainment Television cable network controlled by Comcast. Sources close
to the negotiations said Disney wants more management over the E! channel
and is considering doubling the monthly fees Comcast pays for ESPN. Disney's
interest in owning a stake in E! stems from government concerns about its
content, such as the Howard Stern show. The threat of canceling ESPN
programming is a calculated one: Disney officials believe that revoking ESPN
would anger Comcast's 8 million subscribers without causing the political
uproar that comes from blacking out a major broadcast network.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E04), AUTHOR: Christopher Stern]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8100-2000Nov30.html)
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