Telecommunications

  • May 16, 2024

    FCC Told Rural Aid Can't Lean Too Much On Broadband Maps

    Wireless providers are calling out flaws in the Federal Communications Commission's national broadband map, telling the agency to require more certification from providers to verify that they can actually serve areas they say they can before allocating broadband deployment funding.

  • May 16, 2024

    Internet Archive Must Face Record Labels' Copyright Suit

    A California federal judge on Wednesday ruled that the Internet Archive and the foundation that helps fund it must face a suit from record labels accusing the archive of copyright infringement by willfully copying and distributing thousands of protected recordings for free, saying the archive failed to show that the complaint was untimely.

  • May 16, 2024

    Deals Rumor Mill: Shein IPO, Kraft Heinz, Cinven-Jaggaer

    Online fashion giant Shein is shifting IPO plans from the U.S. to London amid resistance from U.S. lawmakers and Chinese regulators, Kraft Heinz wants to sell its Oscar Mayer business, and private equity firm Cinven hopes to divest software firm Jaggaer for $3 billion. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable deal rumors from the past week.

  • May 16, 2024

    FCC To Pull Phone Co.'s Authorization To Operate In US

    The Federal Communications Commission said Thursday it plans to revoke a telecom company's authorization to operate in the U.S. after the business failed to comply with an agreement with federal agencies stemming from a security review.

  • May 16, 2024

    Apple Exec Must Produce All Docs On 27% App Fee Decision

    A California federal judge presiding over a high-stakes antitrust hearing over Apple's compliance with a court-ordered ban on App Store anti-steering rules ordered a company executive Thursday to hand over all of his communications and notes on Apple's decision to impose a new 27% fee after her injunction.

  • May 15, 2024

    State Farm Can't Dodge TCPA Suit Over Robocalls

    State Farm must face a proposed class action alleging it violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by using a third-party company to make automated telemarketing calls without prior consent, an Illinois federal judge has ruled, saying the suit states a plausible claim of the insurer's vicarious liability for the robocalls.

  • May 15, 2024

    Iridium Partner Gets Novel FAA Waiver For Beyond-Sight Use

    In what satellite phone company Iridium Communications is calling a "watershed moment," the Federal Aviation Administration is allowing one of its partner companies to begin beyond visual line of sight operations, Iridium said Wednesday.

  • May 15, 2024

    MLB, NHL, NBA Doubt Bally Sports Parent Can Reorganize

    The bankrupt parent of Bally Sports-branded regional sports networks touted the extension of a carriage contract with DirecTV Wednesday in Texas bankruptcy court, at the same time that the parent company's partners in major American sports leagues expressed skepticism about its ability to successfully reorganize.

  • May 15, 2024

    House Reauthorizes NTIA, But Agency Takes Heat From GOP

    The U.S. House voted late Wednesday to reauthorize the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, hours after Republicans on a key oversight committee blasted the agency for its handling of the government's $42.5 billion broadband deployment effort.

  • May 15, 2024

    Don't Make Network Outage Reporting Mandatory, FCC Told

    Telecommunications industry groups are telling the Federal Communications Commission that rules requiring mandatory broadband outage reporting would burden small and rural providers and potentially distract from outage response.

  • May 15, 2024

    Caltech Makes A Deal With Dell, Ending Another Patent Suit

    The California Institute of Technology has reached a settlement in its patent lawsuit against Dell Technologies Inc., the latest deal the school has cut in suits over its data transmission patents in the years after its $1.1 billion verdict against Apple Inc. crashed at the Federal Circuit.

  • May 15, 2024

    FCC Could Require ISP Reports On Internet Routing Security

    The Federal Communications Commission will vote on a plan next month to require the largest broadband providers to file confidential reports on security of the internet's main routing technology, the Border Gateway Protocol.

  • May 15, 2024

    School, Library Advocates Oppose 'Eyes On The Board Act'

    Tying E-rate funds to a school's willingness to restrict students' social media access while at school is a bad idea, a quartet of school and library advocates are telling Senate leaders in response to a bill that would do just that.

  • May 15, 2024

    Feds Tell Justices $3.1B Satellite Deal Isn't Reviewable

    The Biden administration has urged the U.S. Supreme Court against reviewing an order dismissing claims that a contractor was pushed out of a $3.1 billion military satellite deal, saying the transaction was a sovereign action shielded from court review.

  • May 15, 2024

    FCC Ramps Up Spectrum Strategy With New Steering Team

    The Federal Communications Commission has pulled together a team of experts to help the Biden administration develop the policies necessary to bring the president's national spectrum strategy to fruition, the agency announced Tuesday.

  • May 14, 2024

    Netflix Can't Shake Patent Biz Case In Delaware

    A federal judge on Tuesday rebuffed Netflix's attempt to invalidate several patents it has been accused of infringing, finding the ideas underlying the handful of decade-old tech patents are inventive enough to move the lawsuit forward.

  • May 14, 2024

    Davis Wright-Led TikTok Creators Challenge Potential Ban

    Following TikTok Inc.'s lead, a group of creators on Tuesday lodged their own challenge to a new federal law that would exclude the popular app from the U.S. market unless it cuts ties with its Chinese parent company, telling the D.C. Circuit that the measure undermines the First Amendment.

  • May 14, 2024

    DOJ Search Case Unveils Google-Apple Pact, Consumers Say

    Private plaintiffs are asking for another crack at their antitrust suit accusing Google of entering illegal agreements to serve as the iPhone's default search engine, saying newly discovered contracts unearthed from the U.S. Department of Justice's ongoing case against the tech giant support a reconsideration.

  • May 14, 2024

    TV Execs Say Draft FCC Foreign Airtime Lease Regs 'Mutated'

    Television station executives are asking the Federal Communications Commission not to include political advertisements in a proposed rule that would require disclosure of foreign-sponsored airtime leases, arguing that doing so would be a "distortion" of the industry's previous request for clarification from the commission on previous identification rules.

  • May 14, 2024

    Telecoms Settle FCC Probe Into Undersea Cables For $2M

    Two telecoms will pay $1 million each to resolve a Federal Communications Commission probe into an undersea cable system that connected the U.S. with Colombia and Costa Rica without FCC approval.

  • May 14, 2024

    Chamber Cautions FCC Against Making Anti-Arbitration Rules

    Business leaders told the Federal Communications Commission that it cannot bar wireless providers from requiring arbitration clauses with customers to resolve disputes arising from cellphone SIM card and port-out fraud.

  • May 14, 2024

    Judge Trims More From Prison Phone Co.'s Antitrust Suit

    Prison telephone service provider Global Tel Link and a Pennsylvania county now have one fewer claim to face in a lawsuit accusing them of sinking a rival company's chance at winning a contract with the county, after a federal court trimmed away yet another claim.

  • May 14, 2024

    Vodafone Gets Green Light For €5B Sale Of Spanish Biz

    Vodafone Group PLC said Tuesday in a statement that it has received final approval from Spanish authorities for its planned sale of Vodafone Spain — or Vodafone Holdings Europe SLU — to Zegona Communications PLC for €5 billion ($5.3 billion). 

  • May 13, 2024

    11th Circ. Says Class Attys Self-Dealt In $35M TCPA Settlement

    The Eleventh Circuit on Monday dismissed a proposed $35 million settlement of a class action alleging GoDaddy.com violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by sending unwanted marketing texts, saying the deal may have come by through nefarious means.

  • May 13, 2024

    FTC Can't Modify $5B Meta Privacy Deal, DC Circ. Told

    Meta Platforms Inc. told the D.C. Circuit on Monday that the Federal Trade Commission lacks the ability to unilaterally modify a $5 billion privacy settlement, contending that the courts are the ones responsible for enforcing the agreement.

Expert Analysis

  • 7th Circ. Ruling May Steer ADA Toward Commuter Issues

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    Employers faced with commuting-accommodation requests from employees who do not require on-site modifications under the Americans with Disabilities Act should consider the Seventh Circuit's recent reopening of a lawsuit alleging unlawful refusal of a night-vision-challenged worker's request to extend a shift change, says Robin Shea at Constangy.

  • Series

    Participating In Living History Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My role as a baron in a living history group, and my work as volunteer corporate counsel for a book series fan association, has provided me several opportunities to practice in unexpected areas of law — opening doors to experiences that have nurtured invaluable personal and professional skills, says Matthew Parker at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

  • 7 Ways Telco Operators Can Approach Lead Cable Claims

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    A recent spotlight on the telecommunication industry shows that companies in the field have known for decades that lead-wrapped cables proliferate in their vast networks, which is likely to provoke prolonged and costly legal battles — but seven best practices can efficiently resolve claims and minimize damage, say consultants at AlixPartners.

  • Opinion

    Private Equity Owners Can Remedy Law Firms' Agency Issues

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    Nonlawyer, private-equity ownership of law firms can benefit shareholders and others vulnerable to governance issues such as disparate interests, and can in turn help resolve agency problems, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.

  • New FCC Broadband Label Rules Should Be Read Carefully

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    A recent order from the Federal Communications Commission clarifies standardized broadband label requirements that are pending final approval — and while compliance should be manageable, the rules impose new risk, particularly with regard to speed and latency disclosures, say Craig Gilley and Laura Stefani at Venable.

  • How To Protect Atty-Client Privilege While Using Generative AI

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    When using generative artificial intelligence tools, attorneys should consider several safeguards to avoid breaches or complications in attorney-client privilege, say Antonious Sadek and Christopher Campbell at DLA Piper.

  • How New Lawyers Can Leverage Feedback For Growth

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    Embracing constructive criticism as a tool for success can help new lawyers accelerate their professional growth and law firms build a culture of continuous improvement, says Katie Aldrich at Fringe Professional Development.

  • Bracing For Rising Cyber-Related False Claims Act Scrutiny

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    Two recent cyber-related False Claims Act cases illustrate the vulnerability of government contractors, including universities, obliged to self-attest compliance with multiple controls, signal the importance of accurate internal controls and underline the benefits of self-disclosure, say Townsend Bourne and Nikole Snyder at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: Australia

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    Clive Cachia and Cathy Ma at K&L Gates detail ESG-reporting policies in Australia and explain how the country is starting to introduce mandatory requirements as ESG performance is increasingly seen as a key investment and corporate differentiator in the fight for global capital.

  • Key Takeaways For Email Marketing From Experian Settlement

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent enforcement action against Experian is a good reminder for companies to assess email marketing practices for compliance with the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing Act, including misleading header information, deceptive subject lines and opt-out requirements, says Terese Arenth at Moritt Hock.

  • Deepfakes Remain A Threat Ahead Of 2024 Elections

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    Although this electoral season has already seen phony videos and images created to deceive the voting public — and deepfakes are surely destined to become all the more pervasive — there is still a lack of legislative progress on this issue, says Douglas Mirell at Greenberg Glusker.

  • Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics

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    X Corp.'s suit alleging that Wachtell grossly inflated its fees in the final days of Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition provides a case study in how firms should protect their reputations by hewing to ethical billing practices and the high standards for professional conduct that govern attorney-client relationships, says Lourdes Fuentes at Karta Legal.

  • How 2nd Circ. Ruling Fortifies Plaintiff Standing Arguments

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    The Second Circuit's recent Bohnak v. Marsh & McLennan decision marries the concepts in TransUnion and McMorris — touchstones of Article III standing — and will bolster the standing arguments of plaintiffs who seek damages based on intangible injuries or the risk of future harms, say Raphael Janove at Pollock Cohen, Samantha Holbrook at Shub & Johns and Andrew Ferich at Ahdoot & Wolfson.

  • ABA's Money-Laundering Resolution Is A Balancing Act

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    While the American Bar Association’s recently passed resolution recognizes a lawyer's duty to discontinue representation that could facilitate money laundering and other fraudulent activity, it preserves, at least for now, the delicate balance of judicial, state-based regulation of the legal profession and the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • Behind The Economics Of The DOJ's Case Against Google

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    Ahead of the U.S. v. Google search monopolization case set for trial in D.C. federal court Tuesday, economist Tessie LiJu Su discusses bundling, exclusive dealing, and the allegations of anti-competitive practices against the technology giant.

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