04/11, 2:05pm
MPAA pushes to criminilize embedding videos
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has now included embedding copyrighted videos into the definition of copyright infringement. The legal distinction between actually hosting the pirated video and simply posting a copy of it by embedding it shouldn't exist, the Association argues. It believes doing either should be subjected to the same punishment and be labeled as direct copyright infringement.
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10/03, 1:25pm
Sprint ex parte letter asking FCC to block merger
Wireless carrier Sprint has filed an ex parte letter (PDF) with the FCC, asking it to bring the proposed AT&T buyout of T-Mobile to a hearing overseen by an administrative law judge. While the FCC is still deliberating a final decision on the matter, its objection would result in just such a hearing. Sprint is trying to speed up the process and ask the FCC to deny the merger.
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05/24, 2:30pm
Leap says ATT T-Mobile would concentrate power
Cricket's parent company Leap Wireless provided its own objection on Tuesday to AT&T's proposed buyout of T-Mobile. The carrier suggested that letting the deal go through would lead to "alarming concentration" by putting too much power in the hands of two carriers, AT&T and Verizon. A merger would only hurt customers, it said.
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05/12, 3:00pm
ATT paying 6b break-up fee if T-Mobile deal halted
Two contacts said Thursday that AT&T's buyout of T-Mobile could be expensive even if blocked by the US government. Terms in the deal reportedly require AT&T pay T-Mobile a $6 billion breakup fee if it can't be completed. Reuters understood that, while $3 billion in cash was already public, there would still be a deal for $2 billion in spectrum and a $1 billion roaming deal.
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05/11, 11:35am
Sprint singles out device deals
Sprint chief Dan Hesse during his statements at the Senate hearing on the AT&T T-Mobile merger singled out device deals as a major reason to block the merger. Referring to Verizon and a post-merger AT&T as the "twin Bells," he warned that their overwhelming clout would "discourage" putting smartphones on tablets on smaller carriers. Hardware makers would want to reach the maximum audience and almost invariably skip Sprint.
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