INTERNET
In New Forum For Domain Name Disputes, Trademark Holders Dominate
(NYT)
Digital Signature Bill Moves Toward Compromise (NYT)
Senators Go Looking for E-Ideas (WP)
Internet Firms Speak Spanglish to U.S. Hispanics (SJM)
MERGERS
FCC Staff May Advise Blocking Worldcom-Sprint Deal (USA)
CABLE
Time Warner, Disney Reach Tentative Resolution Of Cable Dispute
(NYT)
USA Networks Buys 2 Digital Cable TV Channels (NYT)
RADIO
Commissioner Gloria Tristani Objects to Dismissal of Indecency
Complaint Against "Don and Mike" Radio Show (FCC)
INTERNET
IN NEW FORUM FOR DOMAIN NAME DISPUTES, TRADEMARK HOLDERS DOMINATE
Issue: Internet
Many domain name holders feel that they are getting the short end of the
stick in disputes that involve trademarked names. The Internet Corporation
for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) established an arbitration system to
cut down on cybersquatting, the bad-faith registration and resale of domain
names. While the arbitration is an inexpensive alternative to the courts for
resolving such cases, there is growing concern over whether arbitrators
working under a dispute resolution system established by the ICANN are
following parameters established by the board for reassigning domain names.
Of the 327 cases decided, 243 cases, or 74 percent, have favored the
businesses or trademark holders filing the claim. "I don't think it's a fair
process," Peter J. G. Toren, a New York trademark lawyer. "I don't think
it's well organized. I think it's entirely stacked in favor of trademark
holders... I think it's great if you can get a quick decision. But this is
not justice."
[SOURCE: New York Times (Cybertimes), AUTHOR: JERI CLAUSING]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/cyber/cyberlaw/19law.html)
DIGITAL SIGNATURE BILL MOVES TOWARD COMPROMISE
Issue: Internet
Thursday, under the advice of Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers,
Congressional Republicans agreed to cooperate with Democrats to revise a
digital signatures bill that would supercede state laws and allow digital
agreements and signatures to have the same binding authority as paper
contracts--if consumers agree. Democrats have previously expressed concern
over the bill's inability to effectively protect consumers. These concerns
led to conflict with Republicans while attempts were being made to finalize
the bill. Democrats also want the bill to include provisions for archiving
records, defining the states regulative authority and preserving the use of
certain written documents such as eviction notices.
[SOURCE: New York Times (Online), AUTHOR: REUTERS]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/biztech/articles/19digital-signat
ures.html)
INTERNET FIRMS SPEAK SPANGLISH TO U.S. HISPANICS
Issue: E-Commerce
The combined low Internet penetration rates in Latin America, (about 2.3% in
many countries), and a growing online U.S. Latino presence (3.1 million U.S.
Hispanics) is focusing the attention of Spanish-language Internet firms on
the potential of the U.S. market. Studies project that 50% of U.S. Hispanic
homes will use the Internet by 2003. Currently, studies suggest between 32
and 42 percent of U.S. Hispanics currently have computers in their homes and
25 percent use the Internet. Year 2000 Hispanic Internet spending in the
United States is $42.6 million, a growth of 100 percent over 1999. But the
U.S. Hispanic market is hardly a homogeneous group: some speak English,
others Spanish. Some are from Mexico, others Cuba, still others are the
grandchildren of immigrants. "It's the toughest market in the world because
the Hispanic kids do not want refried content from Latin America and do not
identify with old-line, off-line Hispanic media in the U.S.," Carlos
Lizarralde, chief executive of Miami-based Loquesea.com, told Reuters. The
businesses do hope that U.S. Hispanics will identify with relatives in Latin
America, however. Tim Parsa, chief executive of Todito.com, a U.S.-based
Mexican portal 50 percent owned by Mexican broadcaster TV Azteca envisions
Mexicans in the United States paying for purchases and relatives in Mexico
picking up the purchase at a local store.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/022833.htm)
SENATORS GO LOOKING FOR E-IDEAS
Issue: E-government
Senators Fred D. Thompson (R-Tenn) and Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn) of
the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee unveiled a Web site yesterday
through which citizens can post comments and suggestions that will be
considered for use in legislation the committee hopes to introduce later
this year. The Web site is available at http://gov_affairs.senate.gov.
[Source: Washington Post (A29), AUTHOR: Ben White]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30480-2000May18.html)
MERGERS
FCC STAFF MAY ADVISE BLOCKING WORLDCOM-SPRINT DEAL
Issue:
The staff of the Federal Communications Commission is expected to join
Justice Department officials in recommending that WorldCom's $115 billion
purchase of Sprint be blocked. Earlier this week, Justice's staff has
recommended that antitrust chief Joel Klein deny the largest merger in
telecommunications history, say people familiar with the matter. DOJ and FCC
are concerned about permitting the combination of the No. 2 and No. 3 Sprint
long distance carriers, which would put 80% of the market in the hands of
AT&T and WorldCom. Regulators also worry that merger of WorldCom's UUNet
unit with Sprint's Internet backbone would give the companies control of
nearly 70% of Web traffic. WorldCom and Sprint remain optimistic that they
can convince regulators the long-distance market will remain competitive
after the merger. "We think we will have (approvals) completed by fall,"
says Sprint's James Fisher.
[SOURCE: USAToday (1B), AUTHOR: Shawn Young]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000519/2279654s.htm)
TIME WARNER, DISNEY REACH TENTATIVE RESOLUTION OF CABLE DISPUTE
Issue: Cable
Time Warner and Walt Disney have reached an agreement intended to end their
dispute over the cable transmission of television channels owned by Disney,
Gerald M. Levin, Time Warner chairman, told shareholders at the company's
annual meeting yesterday. Executives at both companies refused to discuss
the specific details of the agreement, saying that it needs to be committed
to contractual language first. Sources close to Time Warner say that deal
solely addresses the financial details of Time Warner's agreement to
continue carrying the ABC stations and would not specifically tackle any of
Disney's concerns about the merger with AOL. Earlier this month, when
longstanding negotiations broke down over how Disney would be compensated
for the transmission of ABC stations on Time Warner cable systems, Time
Warner pulled ABC off the air in a number of cities.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/disney-time-warner.html)
USA NETWORKS BUYS 2 DIGITAL CABLE TV CHANNELS
Issue: Cable
Networks Inc. has acquired two digital cable television channels for
approximately $100 million, company executives said last night. Barry
Diller, the USA Networks chairman, said his company had purchased North
American Television Inc., a Canadian concern that owns the Trio network, and
News World International. With the continued growth of digital TV, Mr.
Diller said he expected the networks' distribution to grow significantly
during the next couple of years and predicted that they would eventually
become a significant part of his cable TV empire.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jim Rutenberg]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/usa-digital.html)
RADIO
COMMISSIONER GLORIA TRISTANI OBJECTS TO DISMISSAL OF INDECENCY COMPLAINT
AGAINST "DON AND MIKE" RADIO SHOW
Issue: Radio
The Enforcement Bureau of the FCC has issued a letter dismissing an
indecency complaint filed by Flora Barton, Jose Armas and the National
Latino Media Council arising out of an airing of the "Don and Mike Show" on
WJFK-FM. Among other things, the complaint dealt with graphic sexual terms
used on the show. Commissioner Gloria Tristani accused the Commission of
failing to "discharge its obligation to protect our children from indecent
material on the public airwaves."
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov)
--------------------------------------------------------------
(c)Benton Foundation 2000. Redistribution of this email publication -- both
internally and externally -- is encouraged if it includes this message.
--------------------------------------------------------------
The Benton Foundation's Communications Policy Program (CPP)
(www.benton.org/cpphome.html) Communications-related Headline
Service is posted Monday through Friday. The Headlines are highlights
of news articles summarized by staff at the Benton Foundation. They
describe articles of interest to the work of the Foundation -- primarily
those covering long term trends and developments in communications,
technology, journalism, public service media, regulation and philanthropy.
While the summaries are factually accurate, their often informal tone does
not represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by
Kevin Taglang (kevint( at )benton.org), Rachel Anderson (rachel( at )benton.org), and
Nancy Gillis (nancy( at )benton.org) -- we welcome your comments.
The Benton Foundation works to realize the social benefits made possible by
the public interest use of communications. Bridging the worlds of
philanthropy, public policy, and community action, Benton seeks to shape the
emerging communications environment and to demonstrate the value of
communications for solving social problems.
Other projects at Benton include:
Connect for Kids (www.connectforkids.org)
Debate America (www.debateamerica.org)
Oneworld US (www.oneworldus.org)
Open Studio: The Arts Online (www.openstudio.org)
Sound Partners for Community Health (www.soundpartners.org)