August, 2009

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Protection of Children Prompts Potential FCC Regulation of Internet and Wireless Video Programming and Enhanced State Privacy Rules

Broadcast Law Blog

In the next few days, concerns about the protection of children from indecency and violence could lead to a report from the FCC to Congress urging use of the V Chip and other parental controls in devices other than television sets. Remarks several weeks ago by FCC Chair Julius Genachowski suggesting that the FCC might want to look at content regulation beyond the broadcast medium, a view reiterated in an interview yesterday in TV NewsCheck , also suggest that concerns about the exposure of child

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Code of Ethics for Paralegals

The Paralegal Resource

Although many paralegals work under the supervision of an attorney, paralegals are professionals in their own right. As many people still have the common misconception that a paralegal's place in the law firm consists of little more than being an underling to a superior, it might be a good idea to get a clearer view of the facts, and possibly set this misconception to rest.

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Mini Cooper Ad Request Reminds Broadcasters of No Urban Dictate Certification

Broadcast Law Blog

A request for advertising rates by an ad agency representing the Mini Cooper serves as a reminder to broadcasters of the recently-imposed obligation to insure that broadcast advertisers do not discriminate on the basis of race or gender. As we wrote several months ago, the FCC has adopted a new requirement that a broadcaster certify at license renewal time that their advertising contracts require advertisers certify that they were not making advertising decisions based on the race or gender of t

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No FCC Rules Against Beer Ads, But NCAA and Other Program Suppliers May Have Their Own Limits

Broadcast Law Blog

Many broadcasters have had the conception that there are FCC rules against liquor advertising , As we wrote in 2007, the FCC has never directly regulated liquor ads. Many years ago, the FCC did ask broadcasters seeking a license if they would rely on the NAB Code of voluntary conduct, which set out limits on broadcaster advertising for alcoholic beverages (essentially forbidding hard liquor ads).

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Transforming eDiscovery: Document Summarization, Sentiment Analysis, And Chatbots Take Center Stage

A Synergistic Approach to eDiscovery In the space of eDiscovery, the convergence of document summarization, sentiment analysis, and chatbots represents a significant change in how legal professionals navigate and manage electronic information. These technologies not only expedite the review process but also empower legal teams with deeper insights into the emotional context and key information within electronic documents.

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Webcasters Settlement Act Agreements Published in the Federal Register - Dates to Elect These Deals Set

Broadcast Law Blog

The four settlement agreements between SoundExchange and different groups of webcasters were published in the Federal Register today, setting the dates by which Internet radio operators need to opt into the terms of certain of these deals by filing a Notice of Election with SoundExchange. The deals each have different opt in dates, so it does get confusing.

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FCC Announces New Round of EEO Audits for Radio Stations; Reminds Broadcsters of Requirement to Post Annual EEO Public File Report on Station Website, and Cable Companies of Obligation to File EEO Program Annual Report

Broadcast Law Blog

The FCC yesterday issued another in its series of EEO random audit notices , asking that approximately 170 radio stations nationwide provide information about their hiring practices. Information requested includes the last two years worth of broadcast EEO Public File reports , plus more complete documentation of the efforts outlined in the Public File reports and demonstrating that the information provided in the annual report was really conducted and accurately reported.

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FCC Asks for Comment on MusicFirst's Petition Against Broadcasters for On-Air Activities Opposing Radio Performance Royalty

Broadcast Law Blog

The FCC today asked for public comments on the petition of the MusicFirst Coalition asking the Commission to take action against broadcast stations who did not fairly address on air the proposed sound recording public performance royalty for terrestrial radio. The Petition, about which we wrote here , alleges, with very few specifics, that some radio stations have taken adverse actions against musical artists who have spoken out in support of the royalty, and also that stations have refused to r

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Details on Sirius XM and SoundExchange Settlement on Internet Radio Royalties - An Option for Some Commericial Webcasters

Broadcast Law Blog

The recent settlement on Internet radio royalties between Sirius XM Radio and SoundExchange provides yet another option for commercial webcasters trying to determine the royalties to be paid for the public performance of sound recordings. While the settlement is signed by just these two parties, it will be published in the Federal Register and be available for all commercial webcasters who comply with its terms - which will essentially be any webcaster who is not a "Broadcaster" as def

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FCC's OTARD Rules - Limiting Zoning and Land Use Restrictions on Outdoor TV Antennas

Broadcast Law Blog

Following the digital transition , issues with the reception of some television stations have highlighted the need for the use of outdoor antennas to receive the digital signal. Last week, in three FCC decisions, the Commission made clear that its Over-the-Air Reception Device rules (the " OTARD rules ") prohibit most zoning and other land-use restrictions, both governmental and private, on the use of such antennas.

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Recipe for a Failed CLM Implementation

Selecting and implementing CLM technology can be daunting, leading to underutilization or abandonment. Factors like provider differentiation, inadequate planning, and lack of user training contribute to these failures. Recognizing these pitfalls is crucial for successful adoption, ensuring organizations harness the full potential of CLM for streamlined contract management.

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Remember to Notify the FCC of the Completion of Construction of New Broadcast Auxiliary Station

Broadcast Law Blog

An FCC decision released today reminds broadcasters of the need to notify the FCC of the completion of construction of a new broadcast auxiliary station. Studio Transmitter Links (STL) and Remote Pickups (RPU) have for several years been licensed through the FCC's Wireless Bureau, rather than through the Media Bureau. Unlike a grant of authority to construct a broadcast station, where the new authorization is granted in the form of a construction permit, when the Wireless Bureau grants a new aut

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How the Effective Application of Technology Can Save Money and Help Win Cases

The Paralegal Resource

People say that we live in a litigious society. There is some truth to that. Litigation often comes unexpectedly, is costly, messy and the outcome isn't always predictable. But as business concerns, we strive to understand our costs and factor them into comprehensive models to assure profits. The role of in-house counsel has grown in recent years in an effort to become more proactive in limiting exposure and controlling the costs which can threaten profits.

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Planning Ahead for Video Testimony Can Save Cost and Lead to Advantages at Trial or Mediation

The Paralegal Resource

When I started in the Paralegal profession, the use of video testimony was limited to impeachment or when a witness was not able to appear in court and their non-appearance had to be excused by the Trial Judge. Video testimony was limited to a VHS or BETA tape and it was extremely difficult to skip over portions of the video that were not played to the Jury.

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Wireless Issues Dominate August FCC Open Meeting; No Media Issues Included

Broadcast Law Blog

The Commission today announced the agenda for its August 27, 2009 FCC Open Meeting. The agenda contains two Notices of Inquiry involving Wireless Telecommunications matters, as well as a Notice of Inquiry Notice of Inquiry about protecting American consumers by ensuring sufficient access to information about communications services. The first of the Wireless NOIs seeks input regarding the factors that encourage innovation and investment in wireless services and aims to identify concrete steps th

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Contract Lifecycle Management: A Business Enabler Exploring On-Ground Challenges

CLM tools have always strived to push contract management into the digital age for almost 30 years. But the complexities of digitising a legal document are numerous. The current scenarios in business development have shown that having a fully automated CLM has become a mandate for every law firm and in-house legal department. To determine if you need a CLM system, it's essential to clearly identify the on-ground business challenges you aim to solve.

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Court-Based Mediation- Expanding Access to Justice in Developing Societies

The Paralegal Resource

This paper discusses, general aspects of court-based mediation in selected regions for economically developing countries using civil law systems. It is a broad overview. It examines court-based mediation in selected regions where the speakers have experience, briefly will compare Court-Annexed and the Court-Referred models, will investigate the cultural and historical influences affecting the choice of the court-based mediation model, and will discuss the role of the jurists as mediators.

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Details of Webcasting Royalty Settlements for Noncommercial Webcasters Including Educational and Religious Internet Radio Operators

Broadcast Law Blog

Noncommercial webcasters were provided with two royalty options under settlements reached with SoundExchange pursuant to the Webcaster Settlement Act of 2009 ("WSA"). One settlement was with Noncommercial Educational Webcasters. The other, when announced, was characterized by SoundExchange as being a settlement with noncommercial religious broadcasters, though it applies to any noncommercial webcaster who elects to be subject to its terms.

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Broadcasters Beware: Failure to Timely Renew Earth Stations Can Draw Large Fines

Broadcast Law Blog

The Commission today released yet another forfeiture for what has become an increasingly common oversight among broadcasters -- the failure to timely file a license renewal application for a satellite earth station. What made today's forfeiture unique, however, is the fact that the Commission proposed to double the amount of the forfeiture based on the size of the broadcast licensee and its presumed ability to pay such a fine.

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Some Short Notes on Policy Research Using Government Sources

The Paralegal Resource

One of the best ways to research public policy issues is to use government created reports. There are various agencies that research and advise Congress and the Executive Branch. Typically Congress will make a request to the General Accountability Office (GAO) or the Congressional Research Service (CRS, a division of the Library of Congress) to examine a policy, a budget impact on implementing that policy, or alternatives that Congress may consider in place of that policy.

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California Civil Discovery Act Undergoes Significant Overhaul

Short article looking at the new CCP 2016.

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Don't Like Mediation Confidentiality? Hold a Settlement Conference Instead Available to Non-Members

The Paralegal Resource

Here in California, there's no stronger rule of confidentiality than that applied to a mediation. It cannot be impliedly waived like most privileges, including the near-sacred attorney-client privilege. Simmons v. Ghaderi, 2008 DJDAR 11107. You cannot be estopped from relying on it. Eisendrath v. Superior Court, 109 Cal.App.4th 351 (2003). And if you want your mediated settlement agreement enforced, you must strictly comply with the requirements of Evidence Code Section 1123.

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Teaching a Veteran Paralegal New Tricks Thinking Outside the Box from the Inside

The Paralegal Resource

Are you facing challenges in your duties as a paralegal? Have you been assigned a new case in area you are not really familiar with? Are you worried you do not know what to do next? If you are in this category, you are not alone. With the challenges facing today's law firm, many paralegals need to learn new concepts in order to handle new clients or cases.

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Broadcast Performance Royalty - What Would It Cost? The Congressional Budget Office Says A "Substantial" Amount

Broadcast Law Blog

One of the fundamental questions that surrounds the proposed broadcast performance royalty for the use of sound recordings by over-the-air (or the " performance tax " as it has been labeled by the NAB) is how much it could it cost a broadcaster? Right now, that question is difficult to determine, as the pending bills do not themselves provide any details as to what the fees would be, except for noncommercial entities and for small broadcasters for whom fixed yearly fees are proposed.

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The Broadcast Performance Royalty - Not Dead Yet, as Senate Judiciary Committee to Hold Hearing on Tuesday

Broadcast Law Blog

Even though the National Association of Broadcasters has been successful in getting about 240 Congressional Representatives (far more than a majority of the House of Representatives) to sign onto a resolution opposing the adoption of a performance royalty for the use of sound recordings by broadcasters in their over-the-air programming , the efforts to enact that legislation have not died.

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Dangers of Digital "Reporting": Legal Risks and Unreliable Transcripts

In the world of legal proceedings, the choice between a certified stenographer and digital "reporting" holds significant implications. Certified stenographers go through rigorous training and testing and stand as the gold standard for accuracy in capturing every word. Their expertise ensures a reliable record, a crucial foundation for legal cases.

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Court of Appeals Determines that Launchcast is Not an Interactive Service - Thus Not Needing Direct Licenses From the Record Labels

Broadcast Law Blog

The question of when a digital music service is “ interactive ” and therefore requires direct negotiations with a copyright holder in order to secure permission to use a sound recording is a difficult one that has been debated since the Digital Millennium Copyright Act was adopted in 1998. In a decision of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals released today, upholding a jury decision in 1997, the Court concluded that Yahoo’s Launchcast service (now operated by CBS) is not so &ld

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SoundExchange and Corporation for Public Broadcasting Settlement on Internet Radio Royalties for 2011-2015

Broadcast Law Blog

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has entered into a settlement with SoundExchange extending their current agreement on Internet Radio royalties for " Public" radio stations through 2015. The previous deal, about which we wrote here , covered the period from 2006 to 2010. This new agreement picks up in 2011 and covers included stations through 2015.

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Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Radio Performance Royalty and Platform Parity for Webcaster Royalties

Broadcast Law Blog

On Tuesday, just before the Senate recesses for its summer vacation, an abridged version of the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the proposed sound recording performance royalty for over-the-air radio. Internet radio royalties were also encompassed in this discussion, principally concerning the issue of " platform parity ", i.e. whether all music services subject to the sound recording performance royalty should pay a royalty determined by the same standard, or perhaps even