Telecommunications

  • 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.

  • May 13, 2024

    Charter, Altice Drop Some Areas From Rural Funding Plans

    The Federal Communications Commission said Charter and Altice had withdrawn from their plans to use FCC rural deployment funding to build out high-speed internet in several areas, incurring federal penalties.

  • May 13, 2024

    FCC Looks To Declaw 'Royal Tiger' Global Robocall Network

    The Federal Communications Commission says that a gateway provider known for helping funnel illegal robocalls into the United States is once again back to its old tricks and operating under yet another name, this time Royal Tiger.

  • May 13, 2024

    Feds' Fiber First Policy Slows Deployment, Report Says

    Most states' plans to deploy broadband with funds from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's BEAD Program have room for improvement, according to a new report from a technology think tank.

  • May 13, 2024

    New FCC Rules Preempt NY Broadband Price Cap, Prof Says

    A Second Circuit ruling that revived New York's low-price broadband law in April should be reversed because the Federal Communications Commission's recent decision not to regulate rates for internet services preempts the Empire State's price cap, a law professor said Friday.

  • May 13, 2024

    REIT Says Vegas Hotels Win Backs Tossing DC RealPage Suit

    A real estate investment trust seeking out of the D.C. attorney general's rental algorithm price-fixing suit pointed the superior court judge to last week's decision tossing what it said are extremely similar allegations against a group of Las Vegas hotels.

  • May 13, 2024

    E-Rate Requests Aren't FCA Claims, Law Group Tells Justices

    The Washington Legal Foundation urged the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether reimbursement requests for the Federal Communications Commission's E-Rate program are "claims" under the False Claims Act, arguing that a Seventh Circuit ruling that answered in the affirmative threatens wide-ranging consequences beyond the E-Rate program.

  • May 13, 2024

    EU Designates Booking.com As Gatekeeper, X Ads Escape

    The Dutch company that owns popular travel site Booking.com is the latest company to be hit with the gatekeeper designation by the European Commission, and the social media platform X may be next.

  • May 13, 2024

    FCC Defends 'Lead Generator' Robocall Rule To GOP Sens.

    The head of the Federal Communications Commission is defending the agency's new "single seller" rule meant to limit robocalls and texts from comparison shopping sites, telling lawmakers that it will protect consumers from unwanted marketing.

  • May 13, 2024

    Conn. AG Sues Altice Over 'Enhancement Fee'

    Cable and internet service provider Altice illegally earned millions of dollars by charging consumers a monthly $6 "network enhancement fee" and failed to clearly disclose internet speed restrictions in violation of state law, Connecticut Attorney General William M. Tong said in a state court lawsuit on Monday.

  • May 13, 2024

    Justices Reject COVID App Makers' Last-Ditch Apple Appeal

    The U.S. Supreme Court dealt the latest blow Monday to app developers who've struck out at every turn on antitrust allegations over Apple's rejection of COVID-19-tracking and bitcoin apps, refusing to look at a Ninth Circuit's refusal to revive the lawsuit.

  • May 10, 2024

    Epic Judge Raises Eyebrows About Apple's New 27% App Fee

    The California federal judge overseeing Epic's antitrust case against Apple challenged the terms the tech giant is using to comply with her order to allow app developers to send users to outside payment platforms, saying Friday that Apple appears to be trying to maintain its past revenue with a new 27% fee.

  • May 10, 2024

    VoIP-Pal.com Inc. Drops Patent Suit Against Huawei

    Patent litigation business VoIP-Pal.com Inc. has agreed to drop its case against Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., a week after lawyers for the Chinese telecom giant failed to get patents asserted in the case invalidated on eligibility grounds in a Texas federal court.

  • May 10, 2024

    Ex-Manager Of Lindberg-Tied Co. Sues Over Abrupt Ouster

    The former head of a European IT business with ties to beset insurance mogul Greg Lindberg has claimed in a case now in the North Carolina Business Court that he was suddenly sacked, denied a payout and stripped of his shares based on bogus allegations of bad job performance and unprofessional conduct.

  • May 10, 2024

    Sens. Lament Broadband Subsidy's Absence From FAA Bill

    Senators from both parties are upset that the Federal Aviation Authorization bill, which the Senate passed 88-4 on Thursday night, did not include provisions to bolster the pandemic-era broadband assistance program.

  • May 10, 2024

    FCC Removes Two Providers From Broadband Program

    The Federal Communications Commission ordered the removal of Texas-based internet service provider Tone Communication Services LLC and Georgia-based provider City Communications Inc. from the Affordable Connectivity Program.

  • May 10, 2024

    2nd Circ. Says Subway Texts Don't Trigger Autodial Law

    A divided Second Circuit panel upheld the dismissal of a suit claiming that the sandwich chain Subway illegally spammed consumers' phones with automated texts, finding that a Connecticut federal judge was right in ruling that the marketing campaign didn't use an autodialer as defined by federal law.

Expert Analysis

  • How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing

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    Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

  • Issues Arise As Cos. Shift From Class Actions To Arbitration

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    As corporations like Epson and Samsung move from class action to arbitration, challenges such as a lack of transparency and delay tactics have emerged, leaving a pressing need for legislative reform to ensure accountability and to uphold the rights of consumers and employees, says former Maine Attorney General Andrew Ketterer.

  • Opinion

    Judicial Independence Needs Defense Amid Political Threats

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    Amid recent and historic challenges to the judiciary from political forces, safeguarding judicial independence and maintaining the integrity of the legal system is increasingly urgent, says Robert Peck at the Center for Constitutional Litigation.

  • Assessing D&O Coverage Amid Challenges To DEI Policies

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    As the recent backlash against corporate diversity, equity and inclusion policies leads to shareholder litigation and other legal challenges, companies bolstering their DEI efforts should ensure that their directors and officers and employment practices' liability insurance policies provide sufficient coverage for potential claims, say Peter Gillon and Patrick Blood at Pillsbury.

  • How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies

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    Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.

  • Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial

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    Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.

  • Calif. Climate Disclosure Bills Promise Challenges For Cos.

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    Two novel climate disclosure bills recently passed by the California Legislature will pose challenges for many businesses — especially private companies that are less familiar with climate-related reporting obligations — and will require investments of significant time and effort in processes, procedures and personnel, say John Rousakis and Chris Bowman at O'Melveny.

  • Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times

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    As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

  • 5th Circ. Ruling Reminds Attys That CBP Can Search Devices

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    The Fifth Circuit’s recent Malik v. Department of Homeland Security decision adds to the chorus of federal courts holding that border agents don’t need a warrant to search travelers’ electronic devices, so attorneys should consider certain special precautions to secure privileged information when reentering the U.S., says Jennifer Freel at Jackson Walker.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: European Union

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    As the EU makes ESG regulation a priority, companies — both those based in the EU and others just doing business there — need to keep abreast of myriad new legislation that has either already taken effect or will in the near future, as noncompliance could result in fines, damages and director liability, say attorneys at Steptoe & Johnson.

  • Twitter Sanction Highlights Privacy Law's Complexity

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    The D.C. Circuit's recent decision to uphold a sanction against X Corp., formerly known as Twitter, for failing to produce account records in response to a subpoena highlights the importance of understanding the Stored Communications Act, particularly when deciding to produce or not produce data, says Cary Aronovitz at Holland & Knight.

  • Avoiding The Ethical Pitfalls Of Crowdfunded Legal Fees

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    The crowdfunding of legal fees has become increasingly common, providing a new way for people to afford legal services, but attorneys who accept crowdsourced funds must remember several key ethical obligations to mitigate their risks, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • Fed. Circ. In September: The Scope Of Analogous Prior Art

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    The Federal Circuit's recent decision in Netflix v. DivX turned on the often-overlooked requirement that any prior art must be analogous art, explaining that the art available to a person of ordinary skill in the art is limited to only the artisan's field of endeavor at the time the invention was made, says Jeremiah Helm at Knobbe Martens.

  • Appellate Rulings Highlight Telecom Standard Uncertainties

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    Two recent contrasting appellate opinions in Cellco v. White Deer Township and NMSurf v. Webber — interpreting Sections 332 and 253 of the Communications Act, respectively — demonstrate the continuing uncertainty carriers face when challenging state and local requirements that may impede their provision of telecommunications services, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • Bracing For Regulatory Delays As Shutdown Looms

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    As a government shutdown looms, stakeholders should plan for regulatory delays and note that more regulations could become vulnerable to congressional disapproval under the Congressional Review Act, say Matthew Shapanka and Holly Fechner at Covington.

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