Here are some of the regulatory developments of the last week of significance to broadcasters, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations.
- Often when a new administration takes over and a new Chairperson is installed at the FCC, some of the agency’s non-routine work slows down as the new Chair and her staff look to align the bureaus and offices with their priorities. The last week under Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has been no exception to this, with few public releases coming out of the Media Bureau. But the FCC’s routine work, like license renewals, EEO filings, and comment deadlines, continues and our monthly feature on broadcast regulatory dates and deadlines highlights some of these upcoming obligations.
- With the Super Bowl next Sunday, if you are planning any advertising or promotions tied to the game, we published an article by our law partner Mitch Stabbe on how broadcasters and advertisers can steer clear of the NFL’s aggressive efforts to protect its Super Bowl trademarks and other intellectual property rights. (Broadcast Law Blog)
- Parties interested in the future of copyright law and the Copyright Office should note that Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) has drafted legislation on various copyright topics and is accepting comments on the legislation through March 5th. The legislation seeks changes to the Copyright Act which would, among other things, lessen protections that online services have from infringement claims about user-generated content, as well as changing the organization and authority of the Copyright Office. Legislators do not often release draft legislation this far in advance and ask for public input, so, as these changes would affect all media companies, be sure to take advantage of the open process and send in your ideas. We wrote about the draft legislation, here.
Courtesy Broadcast Law Blog
