Telecommunications

  • April 01, 2024

    Allstate Liable For Contractors' Illegal Marketing Calls

    An Illinois federal judge found that Allstate violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act when its telemarketing subcontractor made phone calls to a man whose number was on Allstate's internal do-not-call list.

  • April 01, 2024

    In East Texas, Korean Biz Bags $10M Verdict Over 5G Patents

    Jurors in Texas federal court ordered a Chinese phone manufacturer on Monday to pay more than $10 million to Korean entity Pantech in a patent dispute over technology used to comply with 5G wireless standards.

  • April 01, 2024

    Chilean Telecom Operator WOM Hits Ch. 11 With $1B In Debt

    WOM SA, one of the largest phone and internet providers in Chile, and five affiliates sought Chapter 11 protection in Delaware on Monday, listing over $1 billion in debt and saying credit downgrades, delays in a 5G network project and creditor liquidation attempts led it to bankruptcy.

  • April 01, 2024

    5G Co. Airspan Hits Ch. 11 With $205M Debt, Reorg Plan

    5G hardware and software maker Airspan Networks filed for Chapter 11 protection Monday in a Delaware bankruptcy court with plans to trade its more than $205 million in funded debt for equity and raise up to $95 million in new equity financing.

  • March 29, 2024

    DC Circ. Rejects Meta's Bid To Delay FTC Privacy Tweaks

    A D.C. Circuit panel on Friday refused Meta Platforms Inc.'s bid to delay the Federal Trade Commission from pursuing changes to a $5 billion privacy settlement, saying the social media giant failed to show why it's entitled to an emergency injunction while it's challenging the FTC's structure.

  • March 29, 2024

    Rural Carriers Worry FCC Broadband Maps 'Vastly' Inaccurate

    Rural wireless carriers are concerned Federal Communications Commission maps do not accurately depict where mobile broadband service is available, putting federal support funds at risk.

  • March 29, 2024

    NTIA Issues $811M In State Digital Equity Funding

    The Biden administration is releasing the allocation of the first $811 million of the $1.25 billion in digital equity funding it plans on providing states, territories and tribes to ensure everyone within their borders has the ability and skill to access all the internet has to offer.

  • March 29, 2024

    Vidal Tells PTAB To Better Explain Nokia Challenge Denials

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Kathi Vidal has vacated the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's refusal to hear three patent challenges by Nokia, telling the board to more fully explain its holding that the patent office had already considered the invalidity arguments.

  • March 29, 2024

    FCC Looks To Stamp Out Call Routing Security Breaches

    The protocols that mobile telecom operators use to talk to each other leave their customers particularly vulnerable to location tracking, according to the Federal Communications Commission, which says it's time to take a closer look at the matter.

  • March 29, 2024

    AT&T Call Center Workers Lose Cert. Bid in OT Suit, For Now

    Call center workers looking to hold AT&T liable for failing to pay them overtime wages were denied collective certification, with an Illinois federal judge ruling they needed to propose a narrower group definition because there was not enough evidence to support a nationwide collective.

  • March 29, 2024

    Vidal Offers 'Peace Of Mind' For MDL Rivals Heading To PTAB

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Kathi Vidal has set new boundaries on interpreting the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's discretionary denial precedent for follow-on petitions, making clear that defendants can work together in multidistrict litigation without giving up the right to file separate patent challenges.

  • March 29, 2024

    US Trade Report Excludes Barriers With 'Legitimate' Purposes

    The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative left out foreign trade barriers that the Biden administration believes serve "legitimate public purposes" from this year's National Trade Estimate report Friday, rejecting pressure from domestic industry associations.

  • March 29, 2024

    8 States Seek $122M After Robocaller Allegedly Ignored Ban

    Attorneys general from eight states urged a federal judge to modify an existing injunction barring a businessman from engaging in robocalling or telemarketing campaigns, asserting he has violated that order, should be held in contempt and must pay $122 million.

  • March 28, 2024

    Telecom Co. Wants Rival Sanctioned In Contract Row

    Florida telecom Local Access LLC is again seeking sanctions against the Chicago-based rival it's suing over a contract dispute, claiming that Peerless Network destroyed records and refuses to turn over revenue information it's been seeking since 2017, even after a Florida federal judge directed the company to do so.

  • March 28, 2024

    FCC Lacks Legal Power To Collect Blackout Info, Stations Say

    TV network affiliates and their national lobbying arm say the Federal Communications Commission lacks legal authority to collect data on impasses between broadcasters and cable and satellite providers that lead to programming "blackouts."

  • March 28, 2024

    India Can't Dodge $132M Award To Deutsche Telekom

    India must pay Deutsche Telekom AG the $132 million an arbitrator has said the country owes the telecom after a massive satellite licensing deal went sour, a D.C. federal judge has ruled, waving away arguments that the district court can't enforce the award due to sovereign immunity.

  • March 28, 2024

    Texas Judge Lifts Discovery Stay On Google's Bidding Deals

    A Texas federal judge agreed to lift a discovery stay in the Texas-led antitrust suit challenging Google's ad technology, allowing the 16 plaintiff states and Puerto Rico access to additional information about a network bidding agreement between Google and Facebook that they claim stymied competition in the digital advertising market.

  • March 28, 2024

    Advocates Push For More Hot Spot Options If E-Rate Expands

    The Federal Communications Commission needs to consider a tech-neutral approach to funding wireless hot spots in schools to make sure that low-income and rural areas do not get left out if mobile carrier signals aren't adequate, an advocacy group said.

  • March 28, 2024

    Meta Says Speech Immunity Dooms Instagram Addiction Case

    Meta on Thursday asked a Massachusetts judge to toss a lawsuit alleging it has intentionally misled users about Instagram features purportedly designed to addict children and teens, saying it is shielded both by federal law and the First Amendment.

  • March 28, 2024

    Walmart Gives Enforcers More Time On $2.3B Vizio Deal Probe

    Walmart is giving the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission more time to complete their initial review of the retail giant's plan to boost its advertising business through the $2.3 billion purchase of smart television maker Vizio.

  • March 28, 2024

    FCC Urged To Reject T-Mobile Network 'Slicing' Proposal

    The Federal Communications Commission shouldn't heed T-Mobile's call to craft network slicing rules that would essentially allow any mobile service provider to escape the agency's net neutrality rules against paid prioritization, according to one advocacy group.

  • March 28, 2024

    Steptoe Taps McDermott's Fintech Head To Be NY Partner

    A longtime partner at McDermott Will & Emery LLP who led the firm's fintech and blockchain transactions practice has joined Steptoe LLP in New York, where she will focus her practice on blockchain, crypto, derivatives and fintech.

  • March 27, 2024

    Amazon Can't Block DSA Ad Repository Requirements

    A European court reversed a ruling temporarily exempting Amazon from a set of regulations for large digital platforms, ruling Wednesday that — like Apple's App Store, Facebook and Instagram — Amazon will have to maintain a publicly available repository of advertising information, as mandated by the European Union's 2022 Digital Services Act.

  • March 27, 2024

    Roblox Needs To Face Calif. Law Claims Over Illegal Gambling

    A California federal judge on Tuesday allowed proposed class claims that the Roblox Corp. gaming company broke California unfair competition law and was negligent for luring minors to gamble to proceed, but tossed other claims brought under racketeering and New York business law.

  • March 27, 2024

    T-Mobile Can Appeal Refusal To Toss Sprint Merger Case

    An Illinois federal court granted T-Mobile's request on Wednesday to immediately appeal a ruling refusing to toss a proposed class action from AT&T and Verizon subscribers who have alleged their prices increased because of T-Mobile's 2020 merger with Sprint.

Expert Analysis

  • In-Office Engagement Is Essential To Associate Development

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    As law firms develop return-to-office policies that allow hybrid work arrangements, they should incorporate the specific types of in-person engagement likely to help associates develop attributes common among successful firm leaders, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Perspectives

    A Judge's Pitch To Revive The Jury Trial

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    Ohio state Judge Pierre Bergeron explains how the decline of the jury trial threatens public confidence in the judiciary and even democracy as a whole, and he offers ideas to restore this sacred right.

  • What Patent Bills Would Mean For Infringement Litigation

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    Attorneys at Farella Braun summarize a pair of recently introduced patent bills — one that would reform patent eligibility and another that would change procedures for litigating patent invalidity — and explore the potential impact of each.

  • How To Recognize And Recover From Lawyer Loneliness

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    Law can be one of the loneliest professions, but there are practical steps that attorneys and their managers can take to help themselves and their peers improve their emotional health, strengthen their social bonds and protect their performance, says psychologist and attorney Traci Cipriano.

  • EU Case Shows Wide Approach To Blocking Telecom Mergers

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    The EU court's recent judgment in Commission v. CK Telecoms may make it more challenging to secure clearance for telecom and other companies pursuing mergers, illustrating its broad approach to mergers that risk harming competition without creating a dominant position, say Dominic Long and Christopher Best at Allen & Overy.

  • Opinion

    Litigation Funding Disclosure Should Be Mandatory

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    Despite the Appellate Rules Committee's recent deferral of the issue of requiring third-party litigation funding disclosure, such a mandate is necessary to ensure the even-handed administration of justice across all cases, says David Levitt at Hinshaw.

  • Recalling USWNT's Legal PR Playbook Amid World Cup Bid

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    As the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team strives to take home another World Cup trophy, their 2022 pay equity settlement with the U.S. Soccer Federation serves as a good reminder that winning in the court of public opinion can be more powerful than a victory inside the courtroom, says Hector Valle at Vianovo.

  • Parsing Through The FTC's Proposed Health Privacy Updates

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recently proposed updates to its Health Breach Notification Rule contain subtle but significant changes to key terms that help modernize the agency's health app regulation and provide stakeholders an important opportunity to help shape the future of virtual health care, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • 3 Service Provider Considerations For NTIA Broadband Fund

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    Internet service providers seeking funding through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's broadband deployment program should begin in earnest identifying areas of interest for funding and challenges so that they are prepared to submit initial proposals before the December deadline, say ​​​​​​​attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • Regulating AI: Litigation Questions And State Efforts To Watch

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    In view of the developing legal and regulatory framework for artificial intelligence systems in the U.S., including state legislation and early federal litigation, there are practical takeaways as we look toward the future, says Jennifer Maisel at Rothwell Figg.

  • Regulating AI: An Overview Of Federal Efforts

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    The U.S. has been carefully managing a national policy and regulatory ecosystem toward artificial intelligence, but as AI technology continues to expand into our everyday lives, so too has its risks and the need for regulation, says Jennifer Maisel at Rothwell Figg.

  • Perspectives

    Mallory Gives Plaintiffs A Better Shot At Justice

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    Critics of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Mallory v. Norfolk Southern claim it opens the door to litigation tourism, but the ruling simply gives plaintiffs more options — enabling them to seek justice against major corporations in the best possible court, say Rayna Kessler and Ethan Seidenberg at Robins Kaplan.

  • The Case For Quantifying The Impact Of 'Dark Patterns'

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    Recent lawsuits alleging that Amazon and Audible used so-called dark patterns to deceive customers show that federal agencies and consumers are actively challenging such conduct, and quantifying its impact on purchase decisions is an important step toward using an evidence-based approach for determining the appropriate level of deterrence, say economists at Brattle.

  • Courts Can Overturn Deficient State Regulations, Too

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    While suits challenging federal regulations have become commonplace, such cases against state agencies are virtually nonexistent, but many states have provisions that allow litigants to bring suit for regulations with inadequate cost-benefit analyses, says Reeve Bull at the Virginia Office of Regulatory Management.

  • Keep Up With Telemarketing Compliance: State Law Roundup

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    As more states enact mini-Telephone Consumer Protection Acts to seemingly fill the "autodialer" void left by the U.S. Supreme Court's Facebook v. Duguid ruling, compliance will become a difficult game of whack-a-mole — some of the laws regulate equipment, while others restrict to whom calls can be made, and more, say attorneys at Blank Rome.

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