DOJ: CHINESE MILITARY PERSONNEL CHARGED WITH COMPUTER FRAUD, ECONOMIC ESPIONAGE AND WIRE FRAUD FOR HACKING INTO CREDIT REPORTING AGENCY EQUIFAX

Busy, busy, busy!

https://beverlytran.blogspot.com/search?q=Equifax

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JUDICIARY: The Patent Trial and Appeal Board and the Appointments Clause

Witnesses

John F. Duffy 
Samuel H. McCoy II Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law

• Duffy Statement
• Duffy Truth in Testimony
• Duffy Bio

Robert A. Armitage
Consultant, IP Strategy & Policy

• Armitage Statement
• Armitage Truth in Testimony
• Armitage Bio

John M. Whealan 
Intellectual Property Advisory Board Associate Dean for Intellectual Property Law Studies, George Washington Law School

• Whealan Statement
• Whealan Truth in Testimony
• Whealan Bio

Arti K. Rai
Elvin R. Latty Professor of Law and Faculty Director, The Center for Innovation Policy, Duke University School of Law

• Rai Statement
• Rai Truth in Testimony
• Rai Bio

Documents

• Witness List

116th Congress

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DOJ: Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski Delivers Remarks at the Thirteenth Law Enforcement and Industry Meeting on Intellectual Property Enforcement

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Good afternoon. It’s a great honor to welcome you to the 13th edition of the Law Enforcement and Industry Meeting on Intellectual Property Enforcement. 

This conference offers a great opportunity for CCIPS, the Department, and each of our law enforcement colleagues gathered at the table today to discuss our shared efforts in IP enforcement, and to hear your comments about the latest successes and challenges.  It’s an event that benefits all of us.

Since this conference first began more than a decade ago, we have seen dramatic changes in IP crime:

• Copyright pirates have moved from peddling individual copies of movies, music, and software on street corners or offering individual downloads online, to operating technologically advanced, multi-national streaming services that generate millions of dollars in illicit profits. 
   
• These services also pose a risk to consumers by coupling malicious code with the stolen content.
   
• Trademark counterfeiters are leveraging the power of online sales to copy and sell knock-offs of any product imaginable, using recognized streams of commerce upon which Americans have come to rely. 
   
• These counterfeiters deliver substandard and sometimes hazardous goods to an unsuspecting public.
   
• Finally, the theft of trade secrets has morphed from individualized action into the highly-refined, publically-stated goal of certain nation-states that see themselves as America’s economic adversaries rather than as responsible trading partners.

So what is the Department doing to keep up in this ever-changing landscape?

First and foremost, we employ the expertise of attorneys across the Department and our federal prosecutors across the country to bring high-impact cases to deter IP crime.

I wanted to highlight some examples of recent prosecutions that show the diligence and creativity of our investigators and prosecutors in bringing these cases.

Online Copyright Infringement – Jetflicks

In August, we announced charges in the Eastern District of Virginia against eight Las Vegas residents for running two of the largest unauthorized streaming services in the country. 

One of the services – known as Jetflicks – allegedly obtained infringing television programs by using sophisticated computer scripts to scour pirate websites around the world and collect the television shows. 

It then made the programming available for paying Jetflicks subscribers to stream and download, often just one day after the original episodes aired.

The scheme, as charged, resulted in the loss of millions of dollars by television program and motion picture copyright owners. 

This case demonstrates how IP criminals are leveraging technology to operate at unprecedented scale and speed. 

The Jetflicks case is indicative of other technological challenges we are facing in copyright, such as the explosive growth of internet streaming devices, or “set top boxes,” which likewise can deliver massive amounts of pirated content.  

CCIPS Senior Counsel Matt Lamberti, who is working with the Eastern District of Virginia U.S. Attorney’s Office on the Jetflicks prosecution, is here with us today.

In addition to unlimited free content, these services will often install malicious software that can compromise the computer security of unwitting consumers, sending passwords, financial information and other personal information to be distributed for profit on the internet. 

Trafficking In Counterfeit Goods – Container Shipping

The Department of Justice also has obtained a slew of guilty pleas in a massive 22-defendant counterfeit importation conspiracy charged in the Eastern District of New York, resulting in the dismantling of one of the largest counterfeit goods trafficking rings ever uncovered in the United States.

These conspirators trafficked not drugs nor electronics, but counterfeit luxury goods that were made in China: fake Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Michael Kors handbags, wallets, belts, perfume, and other merchandise. 

This operation is significant in both its scope and scale—had the items been legitimate, it is estimated that the value would be over $1 billion in total, making it one of the largest counterfeit luxury goods cases in U.S. history.

Members of the conspiracy engaged in multiple schemes to avoid detection, pretending to be representatives of legitimate importation companies, submitting false paperwork to customs authorities, and lying about the nature of the goods in customs declarations.

Once the goods were in the U.S., conspirators sold those counterfeit items in multiple jurisdictions across the country, and laundered millions of dollars of proceeds.

To date, 20 defendants have pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of New York and New York state court in this investigation and related cases.  CCIPS Senior Counsel James Yoon, one of the prosecutors working on Operation TMG, is in the audience today.

Trade Secret Theft – Syntactic Foam

This past summer, following a nine-day jury trial, an engineer and former employee of a Houston company was convicted of conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets in federal court in the District of Columbia. 

This prosecution represented the joint effort of FBI counterintelligence agents, the DC U.S. Attorney’s Office and prosecutors from CCIPS, and the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Section.

The defendant, Shan Shi, and four co-defendants were charged with conspiring to steal trade secrets from a business in the United States on behalf of a company in China that was engaged in manufacturing syntactic foam, a high-performance, naval-grade product with commercial and military uses that is essential for deep-sea oil and gas drilling.

Shan Shi and his coconspirators went to great lengths to cash in on the Chinese government’s desire to obtain syntactic foam technology.

During the course of the trial, the jury heard about the economic incentives in place in China that facilitate and even encourage the theft of American IP where it meets a perceived technological need of the Chinese state.

We need to focus future enforcement efforts on counteracting these incentives.

International Engagement – The China Initiative

Whether it is manufactured goods violating trademarks and counterfeits, or the theft of valuable trade secret information, we at the Department have our eyes wide open when it comes to the common denominator in the vast majority of these cases:  China. 

China’s state-provided economic incentives, vast manufacturing base, and limited domestic enforcement combine to create an environment that encourages IP theft.

And China is at the forefront of the conversation as we address the uptick in trade secret thefts on behalf of foreign corporations or foreign government interests. 

In November 2018, I stood together with then-Attorney General Sessions to announce the Department’s new “China Initiative” – which has proceeded full steam ahead under the leadership of Attorney General Barr. 

Under the China Initiative, the Criminal Division, National Security Division, FBI, and U.S. Attorney’s Offices have redoubled our efforts to investigate Chinese companies and individuals for the theft of trade secrets. 

We have increased our outreach efforts to U.S. Attorneys with materials to raise awareness of these threats. 

We have fostered a dialogue between the government and private sector to ensure that, whether we are dealing with counterfeiting, trade secret theft, a data breach, or ransomware, the Department is well-positioned to obtain evidence from industry. 

And we have sought to find opportunities to better fight against threats to supply chains for components used in military and government systems and in critical civilian infrastructure. 

Each of these efforts stem from the recognition that we must not stand by and allow our intellectual property to be stolen.

Expansion of the ICHIP Program

While we continue to focus on China as a source of IP violations, we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the impact on American companies of IP and high-tech crime around the world.

In 2006, just before the original IP Industry Conference, DOJ placed the first IP Law Enforcement Coordinator in Bangkok, Thailand, to provide training and technical assistance to build the capacity of our foreign counterparts to combat IP crimes.

Working with our colleagues in the State Department, we have been forward-leaning in seeking to enhance our relationships with foreign counterparts – specifically in combatting IP and cybercrimes – to level the global playing field and reduce the number of safe havens available to IP criminals. 

Last year at this meeting, I announced the expansion and re-naming of the Department’s experts posted around the globe, now known as International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property or “ICHIPs.”

Our ICHIPs deliver basic and advanced law enforcement training, case-based mentoring, and other technical assistance to investigators, prosecutors, judges, and other government officials. 

They have been instrumental in developing successful cases in their regions, and turning those cases into sustainable models for continued enforcement.

I’m thrilled that with the support of the State Department, we have been able to expand the ICHIP program, and I am proud to introduce to you today the two Washington, DC-based ICHIPs with subject matter expertise in dark markets, cryptocurrencies, and internet-based fraud.  

Michael Chu hails from the Houston U.S. Attorney’s Office, and will be serving as our internet-based fraud and public health and safety subject matter expert. 

John Ghose joins our ICHIP Network from the Atlanta U.S. Attorney’s Office, and will offer subject matter expertise on virtual currencies and dark markets. 

In addition, we also have our incoming Eastern Europe ICHIP Scott Keirin in attendance today.  Scott will be moving later this month from the Portland, Oregon U.S. Attorney’s Office to Bucharest, Romania.

Looking Forward

In recent months I’ve had the opportunity to interact with representatives across the many industries in the U.S. that rely on intellectual property to succeed.

Based on those discussions, I’m acutely aware of the challenges facing each of us in the room today, whether from the perspective of a company trying to compete in a global marketplace or government agencies charged with the responsibility to protect IP.

Several themes run through these discussions, and I’d like to close with areas where I believe we can work together in the coming year to address the challenges:

• Existing laws do not always address the conduct that IP criminals are engaging in today. Or, put differently, smart criminals may seek to avoid serious repercussions by developing new technologies or security measures to skirt legal authorities.
   
• We need to be creative and cooperative in thinking about possible solutions, whether through looking at additional charging strategies, or considering legislative amendments.
   
• We will never be in a position where we can prosecute our way out of the problem of IP crime. However, by working together to identify the worst actors, we can have a measurable effect on decreasing the profitability of criminal IP infringement.
   
• Gatherings such as our meeting today provide an excellent opportunity to share the work that we have been doing on the enforcement side, and to hear from you about developing trends and new concerns.

I trust that today’s conversation with the experts gathered around the table will be as informative as it has been in each of the prior meetings.

I look forward to hearing back from CCIPS about your input today, and in continuing to work together to combat IP crime in the coming year.

Thank you for your attention.

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JUDICIARY: Online Platforms and Market Power, Part 3: The Role of Data and Privacy in Competition - Bioethics In Modern Day Human Trafficking

Iceland has a generational genetic repository.

Penn State University seems to run the bioethics portion of modern day human trafficking in support of Iceland's commercialization of really, really, tiny humans, like genomes for genomic predictive modeling crap.

Wayne State University has the blood bank.

University of Michigan has the library system of predictive modeling crap.

Michigan State University looks to be the keyman for all the human lab rat experiments.

WHO definitions of genetics and genomics
 Genetics is the study of heredity.1 Genomics is defined as the study of genes and their functions, and related techniques. 1,2 The main difference between genomics and genetics is that genetics scrutinizes the functioning and composition of the single gene where as genomics addresses all genes and their inter relationships in order to identify their combined influence on the growth and development of the organism.

Bioethics is just another reengineered component when it comes to the residuals of the peculiar institution, which is what shall eventually aid in the obviation of policy and law, specifically in the areas of procurement for inurement.

https://www.decode.com/

https://cofs.lara.state.mi.us/CorpWeb/CorpSearch/CorpSummary.aspx?ID=801050160&SEARCH_TYPE=3

Michigan

It all started in Detroit.

Iceland Inc on the Ethics of Commercial Population Genomics by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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JIMQUISITION: Blaming Games For Mass Shootings Is A Disgusting Distraction

You cannot blame the video gaming industry for the evils of man.

It is time to ask the magical question: Cui bono?

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Meet Keenan Keller - He Sucks & I Call Him Mr. Icky Man

This is Keenan Keller.

He is a staffer for the U.S. House Judiciary Committee.

I like to call him Mr. Icky Man.

He was mean to my Sweetie.

He impugned my intelligence.

He is dumb.

Keenan is a subordinate  to the "Legal Geniuses" (trademark pending).

He lies about the true heraldry of voting rights.

He created the architecture of the #coloredrevolution.

I rewrote H.R. 40 because it was stupid, but I just learned KK was the one who wrote it, so now my life all makes sense.

Nirvana has been achieved.

Keenan sucks.

Fuck you, Mr. Icky Man.

Stay tuned.

#perkinscoiesucks

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DOJ: Attorney General Barr Speaks At Cyber Security Conference

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JUDICIARY: Online Platforms and Market Power, Part 1: The Free and Diverse Press

Witnesses

Mr. David Chavern 
President, News Media Alliance

• David Chavern Statement
• David Chavern Truth in Testimony
• David Chavern CV

Mr. Gene Kimmelman 
President, Public Knowledge

• Gene Kimmelman Statement
• Gene Kimmelman Truth in Testimony
• Gene Kimmelman CV

Ms. Sally Hubbard 
Director of Enforcement Strategy, Open Markets Institute

• Sally Hubbard Statement
• Sally Hubbard Truth in Testimony
• Sally Hubbard CV

Mr. Matthew Schruers 
Vice President, Law and Policy, Computer and Communications Industry Association

• Matthew Schruers Statement
• Matthew Schruers Truth in Testimony
• Matthew Schruers CV

Mr. David Pitofsky 
General Counsel, News Corp

• David Pitofsky Statement
• David Pitofsky Truth in Testimony
• David Pitofsky CV

Mr. Kevin Riley 
Editor, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

• Kevin Riley Statement
• Kevin Riley Truth in Testimony
• Kevin Riley CV

Documents

• Hearing Notice
• Witness List

116th Congress

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QUANTUM RENAISSANCE: SpaceX Launches The First Season On The Road To The First Super Tech Bowl

They are doing live color commentary like a sporting event and I absolutely love it.

They are even doing live commercials for the corporations involved in the launch, claimed as the largest Arab satellite network in the world.

The tech companies are now the new NFL in technology promoting corporate team spirit in open sourced advancement.

I can see the armoralities in colorful heraldry where individuals rally, through their votes, not limited to a thumbs up or down marginalized decision-making process.

No more war because stock market is nothing but a rigged gambling theifdom that is to be dismantled and rebuilt and we can do it blockchain and stop the stealin'.

We are entering the Quantum Renaissance.

We are doing AI space mining.

We no longer need intermediaries to bear witness.

#sayhisname

Edit or delete thi

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Cocktails & Popcorn: March 2nd, 2019 Can Trump Drop RocketMan/Leidos With One Tweet? Who's Hand Is In The Rocket? -Warmbier

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Cocktails & Popcorn: February 5th, 2019. Pelosi’s New Dawn, Ollie North’s Weapons Deal At HCA

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Library Of Congress International Database Of Obviation

Always remember to cite your sources because now, there is no excuse.

As our National Archives have been selectively recorded and strategically purged, the time has come for an international database which can easily be achieved through blockchain technologies.

Library of Congress Mandatory Deposit Laws in Selected Jurisdictions (2017 Update) by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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CONYERS v. TRUMP: Emoluments Clause Case Is Fast Tracked To SCOTUS With A Tweet

In the latest update of the Trump Emoluments Clause Case, we see that a tweet can now be entered into a court of law.

FUN FACT! I ENTERED MY BLOG AS A LIVING, BREATHING CONTINUANCE OF CLAIMS & EVIDENCE

I am not a tweeter because Twitter shadowbanned my Sweetie and me for years, but Trump is, and he has tweeted his way to fast tracking the case to SCOTUS!

The judge in the emoluments clause case cited this tweet from @realDonaldTrump to reject Trump's argument that any lawsuit would impose undue burdens on the presidency.
In this tweet, Trump actually invited a lawsuit from one of his enemies! He's got time, it seems. https://t.co/RTQbWUhahr

— David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) November 2, 2018

To read the DC Circuit docket, complaint and latest opinion of Judge Emmet Sullivan, click here.

You may listen to Blumenthal in the CAC Foreign Emolumments Clause Case Pre-argument Press Call, June 5, 2018 here.

To follow the fast track to SCOTUS, click here.

Congress v. Trump Emolument Clause Case Plaintiff Opposition Re Interlocutory Appeal by Beverly Tran on Scribd

Foreign Emoluments 101 by Beverly Tran on Scribd

The Text History of the Foreign Emoluments Clause by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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JUDICIARY: Goodlatte, Nadler Applaud House Passage of Judiciary Committee’s Bipartisan Music Licensing Legislation

Hatch-Goodlatte Music Modernization Act to be Signed into Law 

Washington, D.C.(H.R. 1551), bipartisan legislation that updates several key provisions of U.S. copyright law regarding music licensing.  This consensus legislation is a product of the House Judiciary Committee’s comprehensive copyright review and was introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet Subcommittee Vice Chairman Doug Collins (R-Ga.), Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet Subcommittee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet Subcommittee Ranking Member Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), former House Judiciary Committee Chairman and current Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas), and Representative Ted Deutch (D-Fla.).

Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Nadler applauded today’s vote in the statements below.

Chairman Goodlatte: “Today’s House passage of the bipartisan Hatch-Goodlatte Music Modernization Act is a major victory for American music creators, music distributors, and the music listening public.  This legislation, which modernizes our music copyright laws so music creators are fairly compensated for their works, finally brings our music laws into the digital age.

“I appreciate the hard work of the many House and Senate Judiciary Committee Members who came together on this legislative package.  Music has such an immense impact on all of our daily lives and with this important legislation headed to the President’s desk, we will help ensure the sustainability of the evolving American music industry for decades to come.”

Ranking Member Nadler: “I am proud that the Music Modernization Act will now head to the President’s desk. This bill will update the law to better serve both creators and digital music providers. Virtually all of the major industry stakeholders came together to support this bill. I am particularly pleased that this bill includes several measures included in the Fair Play Fair Pay Act, which I introduced the last two Congresses. Under the leadership of Chairman Goodlatte, we have joined together on a bipartisan basis to modernize the music licensing system. We have seized this historic opportunity to resolve some longstanding inequities in the music marketplace by helping digital services more efficiently license and distribute musical works, while ensuring artists, songwriters, and other music creators receive fair market value for their work.”

Key Provisions of the Hatch-Goodlatte Music Modernization Act include:

Title I – Music Modernization Act  

• Reflects how modern digital music services operate by creating a blanket licensing system to quickly license and pay for musical work copyrights
• Discourages music litigation that generates legal settlements in favor of simply ensuring that artists and copyright owners are paid in the first place without such litigation
• Ends the flawed U.S. Copyright Office bulk notice of intent system that allows royalties to not be paid
• Implements uniform rate setting standards to be used by the Copyright Royalty Board for all music services
• Shifts the costs of the new licensing collective created by the bill to those who benefit from the collective – the licensees
• Updates how certain rate court cases are assigned in the Southern District of New York

Title II — Compensating Legacy Artists for their Songs, Service, and Important Contributions to Society (CLASSICS) Act  

• Provides that performers who recorded songs before 1972 can finally be paid for their works (currently, only performers who recorded songs after 1972 are paid for their works)

Title III — Allocation for Music Producers (AMP) Act  

• Ensures that record producers, sound engineers, and other creative professionals receive compensation for their work

Nothing about Corporate Shape Shifiting on the Royalties but that it is a matter for a different jurisdiction.

'Truly a Historic Moment': Music Business Reacts to Music Modernization Act Becoming Law

The Music Modernization Act was signed into law on Thursday by a clearly exuberant President Trump. "I've been reading about this for many years and never thought I'd be involved in it, but I got involved in it," he said of the historic legislation, which passed with unanimous support in both chambers of Congress after years of efforts by the music industry and lawmakers.

At the signing ceremony, Trump was surrounded by a smattering of supportive artists including Kid Rock, John Rich and Mike Love, along with the two Republican lawmakers whose names are officially attached to the law, Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah and Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia.

While Trump did thank members of the industry in attendance, he only mentioned one executive: Recording Academy Neil Portnow, whom he referred to as "big stuff." Short speeches were delivered by several of the artists, including Rock, Rich, Love and soul legend Sam Moore.

READ MORE

President Trump Signs Music Modernization Act Into Law With Kid Rock, Sam Moore As Witnesses

Here are the official reactions to the new law from key execs and organizations:

Mitch Glazier, RIAA president: "The Music Modernization Act is now the law of the land, and thousands of songwriters and artists are better for it.  The result is a music market better founded on fair competition and fair pay. The enactment of this law demonstrates what music creators and digital services can do when we work together collaboratively to advance a mutually beneficial agenda. It's a great day for music. We hope fans across the country will join with us in celebration and PLAY IT LOUD."

David Israelite, NMPA president & CEO: "The Music Modernization Act is finally the law of the land.  We are incredibly grateful for the Members of Congress who passed the MMA and the President for signing it. Songwriters have for too long labored without seeing fair rates and receiving all that they deserve, and for the first time in history, the music industry has partnered with the tech industry to fix these systemic problems. As we embark on supporting and helping build the critical structures within the MMA, we are humbled by the extraordinary progress propelled by compromise and the unprecedented political involvement of music creators. Today is about their future and this bill stands as a great statement on what can be done when we work together."

Neil Portnow, Recording Academy president and CEO: "As we celebrate the harmony and unity that got us here, we applaud the efforts of the thousands of performers, songwriters, and studio professionals who rallied for historic change to ensure all music creators are compensated fairly when their work is used by digital and satellite music services," he said in a statement. "We thank the members of Congress who championed this issue throughout the past several years to bring music law into the 21st century."

Elizabeth Matthews, ASCAP CEO: "Thanks to the unrelenting efforts of our ASCAP music creator and publisher members, industry partners and champions in Congress, a more sustainable future for songwriters is finally within reach. The MMA's unanimous passage in the House and Senate proves that the power of music is a great unifier. ASCAP is proud to have stood alongside creators, music publishers, and many more to make this dream a reality."

Paul Williams, ASCAP chairman of the board and president: "A young songwriter once wrote, ‘You give a little love and it all comes back to you; You’re gonna be remembered for the things that you say and do.’ Decades later, this could not be more true. Songwriters across this country now and in the future will remember those who fought so hard for the Music Modernization Act—both in Congress and across the music industry. On behalf of the music community, we are so thankful for the love and will return the favor with music for generations to come."

Mike O'Neill, BMI president and CEO: "This is truly a historic moment for the music industry, especially for the American songwriters and composers at its core, who will see significant and deserved benefit from this legislation. Passage of the Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act was a hard-fought process that hinged on tremendous collaboration and unprecedented support among diverse stakeholders who ultimately united to safeguard the future of music. We are gratified by this extraordinary outcome that recognizes the essential contributions of creators and streamlines the use of their music across businesses. While BMI will keep advocating to protect the livelihood of music creators in the digital age, we thank Congress and the President for taking this important step in implementing the most meaningful music licensing reform in decades."

John Josephson, chairman/CEO of SESAC: "Today, President Trump signed the bi-partisan Hatch-Goodlatte Music Modernization Act (The MMA), which will finally bring music copyright laws into the digital age. We applaud everyone's hard work and tireless efforts on this legislation, especially the Senators who worked diligently to get the bill passed then adopted by the House. We're grateful for our committed songwriting and publishing community whose focus and passion have strengthened our industry for generations to come."

Michael Huppe, SoundExchange president and CEO: "With today's signing of the Music Modernization Act, we mark a historic accomplishment. But more importantly, we mark what it means. For creators, it means getting paid more fairly. For those who recorded music before 1972, it means assurance you'll get paid for your work. For songwriters, publishers and producers it means making the digital economy work for you. SoundExchange's 170,000-member community was a driving force in getting the bill from the halls of Congress to the White House. When the music industry speaks with one voice, Congress listens. I urge you to stay active because there is much more work to be done before we can truly say all music creators are treated fairly."

Michelle Lewis and Kay Hanley, Songwriters of North America (SONA) executive directors: "SONA and its membership of working songwriters would like to express heartfelt thanks to Congress and to our fellow music business stakeholders for accomplishing what everyone thought was impossible: Compromise, consensus, and passage of the Orrin G Hatch - Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act.  As President Trump signs our bill into law, today marks another momentous event in the rich history of music and the people who create it."

Dina LaPolt, founder/owner, LaPolt Law: "Music’s unifying power helped opposing communities reach across party lines to pass the Music Modernization Act with unanimous congressional support. The President’s final signature now enshrines the MMA in U.S. law, protecting music creators for generations to come.  I couldn’t be more proud of SONA and all the songwriters who engaged the entire music creator community to help get this over the line!  Now the real work begins!"

Horacio Gutierrez, Spotify general counsel: "One of our core missions at Spotify is to enable a million artists to make a good living from what they love: creating and performing music. The Music Modernization Act is a huge step towards making that a reality, modernizing the outdated licensing system to suit the digital world we live in. The MMA will benefit the music community and create a more transparent and streamlined approach to music licensing and payment for artists."

Keith Kupferschmid, Copyright Alliance CEO: "The Copyright Alliance appreciates the President signing the MMA into law today, and commends and thanks members of Congress, numerous Copyright Alliance members, and friends of the music community for their support of this critical legislation. It's truly remarkable for any cause or bill to bring everyone together in a bipartisan fashion, especially a bill as complex and lengthy as this one. But that's just what happened with the Music Modernization Act. The willingness to compromise, and work with others who may have competing or different interests, in the singular effort to get this important copyright legislation passed was laudable and inspiring."

Michael Eames, Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) president; Alisa Coleman, AIMP New York Executive Director; and John Ozier, AIMP Nashville Executive Director: "Today marks a historic step forward for independent music publishers, songwriters, and the entire music industry, as President Trump has signed the Hatch Goodlatte Music Modernization Act (MMA) into law. This marks the first significant federal legislation since 1998’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to address the needs of rights-holders in today’s online age. We can look forward to a variety of long-overdue reforms that will make it easier to negotiate for and collect fair royalty rates while also establishing once and for all that digital services must pay for the use of pre-1972 recordings. In addition, it ensures independent publishers and songwriters a seat at the table for the new mechanical licensing collective. The AIMP is committed to ensuring that the independent publishing community and songwriters are represented fairly in the implementation and enforcement of the MMA, and we look forward to working with our partners across the music and technology industries as we move ahead in this new era. We offer our sincere gratitude to David Israelite and his team at NMPA, to the NSAI and SONA, to Senator Orrin Hatch and Congressmen Bob Goodlatte and Doug Collins, and to all parties from all sides who fought to provide a balanced outcome for all involved."

James Donio, Music Business Association president: "The Music Business Association applauds and congratulates its members and valued partners across the industry on their extraordinary and unprecedented efforts to bring the groundbreaking Music Modernization Act to fruition. What an amazing achievement for creators and their commercial partners to have come together in solidarity, and joined with Congress, to make long overdue copyright reform a reality. This is the start of an exciting new era for the entire business of music. Bravo!"

music by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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TRUMP Talks About Human Trafficking, Poverty & Election Interference With World Leaders At United Nations

For the first time in the history of the world does a world leader speak upon human trafficking and poverty at the United Nations.

Trump smacked down foreign corporations taking over our country.

Get ready for the end of privatization.

Get ready for peace.

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DEFANGO: Double Feature New Jack City + Qanon me if you can - DEFNEWS 8/14/2018

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DEFANGO: Lift the Drama Doughts and News - DEFNEWS 8/13/2018

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DEFANGO: DefNews Prologue: THE FORCES BEHIND #Q - THE PUZZLE PUT TOGETHER UNIROCKS MSM Gambit + IRAN's New Deal - DEFNEWS 8/6/2018

Defango, of DefNews reports from the cyberbattle fields on the propaganda wars, psyops, new technology, and other interesting characters in the quest to make them stop stealin'.

Multistreaming with https://restream.io/ Right now the Ship is sinking for Qanon and UNIROCK is hot on the trail. It seems that the MSM is in contact and they will be running a story. I wonder how it will all work out? Did you hear about iran? Tip Link https://streamlabs.com/mannychaveziii Support the stream Patreon.com/defango DONATE if you wanna paypal.me/defango LTC - MRoQpUx1fZxXMBRLa9uZfuzeUKY8YsY9nL BTC - 325BQU2qBxuxBvWnUPHonzNzpRFTaYdf3s ETH - 0xfD651b1FCD273cE68F8BD87FEB896f92F44595D5

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DOJ: Comment Period Open For Review Of Paramount Consent Decrees

Have you ever found yourself on social media, ranting, about how bad things are in the Main Stream Media?

Well, here is the perfect opportunity for you to get off Facebook & Twitter!

If you are interested in the ability of propaganda to be generated in the questionable financial industry of Hollywood Movie Magic, including its treatment of children and funding of political campaigns, then why not file a public comment, into the historic record?

Either that, or you can continue to be a keyboard warrior and continue to preach to your own, subscribed, private choir.

"Have a great day!"

THIRTY-DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD

As part of its review, the Department invites interested persons, including motion picture producers, distributors, and exhibitors to provide the Division with information or comments relevant to whether the Paramount Decrees, in whole or in part, still are necessary to protect competition in the motion picture industry. 

In particular, the Department is interested in comments on the following issues:

• Do the Paramount Decrees continue to serve important competitive purposes today?  Why or why not? 
• Individually, or collectively, are the decree provisions relating to (1) movie distributors owning movie theatres; (2) block booking; (3) circuit dealing; (4) resale price maintenance; and (5) overbroad clearances necessary to protect competition?  Are any of these provisions ineffective in protecting competition or inefficient? Do any of these provisions inhibit competition or cause anticompetitive effects? 
• What, if any, modifications to the Paramount Decrees would enhance competition and efficiency?  What legal justifications would support such modifications, if any? 
• What effect, if any, would the termination of the Paramount Decrees have on the distribution and exhibition of motion pictures? 
• Have changes to the motion picture industry since the 1940s, including but not limited to, digital production and distribution, multiplex theatres, new distribution and movie viewing platforms render any of the Consent Decree provisions unnecessary?
• Are existing antitrust laws, including, the precedent of United States v. Paramount, and its progeny, sufficient or insufficient to protect competition in the motion picture industry? 

Note: Comments are due on or before September 4, 2018.   Please submit comments via email to atr.mep.information@usdoj.gov(link sends e-mail).

Department of Justice Opens Review of Paramount Consent Decrees

As part of The Department of Justice’s review of nearly 1,300 legacy antitrust judgments, the Antitrust Division today announced that it has opened a review of the Paramount Consent Decrees, which for over seventy years have regulated how certain movie studios distribute films to movie theatres.  The purpose of the review is to determine whether or not the decrees should be terminated or modified.  

The Antitrust Division announced in April its initiative to terminate legacy antitrust judgments, stating that it would review all such judgments to identify those that no longer serve to protect competition.  The initiative was undertaken because many of the final judgements that the Division entered into from the earliest days of the Sherman Act until the late 1970s do not include sunset provisions or express termination dates.  Consequently, those judgements are perpetual, regardless of whether there have been subsequent industry or technological changes that might make those judgements either ineffective in protecting competition or even anticompetitive themselves.  

In particular, the Paramount Decrees have regulated how certain movie studios distribute films to movie theatres since the Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Paramount, 334 U.S. 131 (1948).  For example, the decrees ban various motion picture distribution practices, including block booking (bundling multiple films into one theatre license), circuit dealing (entering into one license that covered all theatres in a theatre circuit), resale price maintenance (setting minimum prices on movie tickets), and granting overbroad clearances (exclusive film licenses for specific geographic areas).  Given that these decrees do not have any sunset provisions or termination dates, the Division will thoroughly review them to determine whether they still serve the American public and are still effective in protecting competition in the motion picture industry.  

“The Paramount Decrees have been on the books with no sunset provisions since 1949.  Much has changed in the motion picture industry since that time,” said Makan Delrahim, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.  “It is high time that these and other legacy judgments are examined to determine whether they still serve to protect competition.  Today, we take an important step forward in the process of reviewing the Paramount Decrees.”   

Since the district court entered the Paramount Decrees, the motion picture industry has undergone considerable change.  None of the Paramount defendants own a significant number of movie theatres.  Additionally, unlike seventy years ago, most metropolitan areas today have more than one movie theatre.  The first-run movie palaces of the 1930s and 40s that had one screen and showed one movie at a time, today have been replaced by multiplex theatres that have multiple screens showing movies from many different distributors at the same time.  Finally, consumers today are no longer limited to watching motion pictures in theatres.  New technology has created many different distribution and viewing platforms that did not exist when the decrees were entered into.  After an initial theatre run, today’s consumers can view motion pictures on cable and broadcast television, DVDs, and over the Internet through streaming services.  

As a consequence of all of these changes, and the fact that the decrees have been in place for over seventy years, the Department has opened a review to determine whether the decrees should be modified or terminated.

The Antitrust Division has posted an invitation for public comment on its public website (https://www.justice.gov/atr/paramount-decree-review), inviting interested persons, including motion picture producers, distributors, and exhibitors, to provide the Division with information or comments relevant to whether the Paramount Consent Decrees still are necessary to protect competition in the motion picture industry.  The period for public comment is 30 days.  

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DOJ: Pictures Contain More Than 1K Words - Email Espionage

Turbine technology is used in nuclear projects.

What are they doing with all that research?

Emails, they are not for just for gif attachments with encrypted data, anymore.

You can text pics, too, you know.

Just saying.

New York Man Charged With Theft of Trade Secrets

Xiaoqing Zheng, 55, of Niskayuna, New York, was arrested today in connection with a criminal complaint charging him with stealing trade secrets belonging to General Electric (GE).

The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Grant C. Jaquith for the Northern District of New York, and, Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Margiotta of the FBI’s Albany Division.

The criminal complaint alleges that on or about July 5, Zheng, an engineer employed by General Electric, used an elaborate and sophisticated means to remove electronic files containing GE’s trade secrets involving its turbine technologies. Specifically, Zheng is alleged to have used steganography to hide data files belonging to GE into an innocuous looking digital picture of a sunset, and then to have e-mailed the digital picture, which contained the stolen GE data files, to Zheng’s e-mail account. 

The defendant appeared today in federal court in Albany, New York, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel and was ordered detained without bail pending a hearing scheduled for August 2, at 1:30 p.m.   

The charge filed against Zheng carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.  The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes.  If convicted of any offense, the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss of the Northern District of New York, and Trial Attorneys Jason McCullough and Matt Chang of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

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