March 2009
You are browsing the archive for March 2009.
Broadband Recovery Needs A Policy Preference for Royalty-Free Standards
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the “Recovery Act”, has allocated an unprecedented $7 Billion to broadband and has launched a new chapter of broadband policy in the US. The coming months will inspire an accelerated debate and consideration of what this can, and should, mean, on many levels from tactical grant-making to [...]
Why the Sad State of Interactive TV Matters and What to Do About It
What would the Internet look like today if history had been just slightly different? Say for example the Internet’s open, royalty-free foundation — protocols, HTML, etc. — hadn’t mostly won out? Leaving only proprietary solutions or shifting interest groups (and their designates) maneuvering to disadvantage, overcharge, or end-run each other as the only — and [...]
FCC Agrees to Hear DTV Patent Comments
The FCC has requested comments on the CUT FATT petition (discussed here) to review DTV patent abuses. Some articles on the FCC request are here and here, the FCC notice (comments due April 27) is here, and filings will be posted here (select “Search for Filed Comments” on right, proceeding 09-23) A related petition in [...]
Open Video Movement Gains Steam
The crying need for Open Video continues to break out from under the radar, as evidenced by the blue-ribbon sponsors and diverse community of the just-announced inaugural Open Video Conference to be held June 12. Organizers include Yale Law School’s Information Society Project and partners include the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard [...]
Java@Digital TV Conference
A bright potential is shining for interactive TV in Brazil, which has a unique moment of opportunity to start from a complete, royalty-free specification — Ginga – and avoid the systemic stalling gridlock that has plagued patent-based/industry-segment-controlled interactive TV in the US and elsewhere. The first developer conference is announced here for April 2. It [...]