Legislation

Payments Firm Neteller Blames Layoffs on U.S. 'Net Gambling Ban

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 20, 2007 - 2:25pm.

London - Neteller, a U.K.-based provider of online payment processing services, announced that it will lay off 250 employees in Canada and the U.K., citing the recent U.S. crackdown on Internet gambling sites and related services, Silicon.com reported.

Senate Bill Would Create Child Porn Database, Require ISP Monitoring

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 9, 2007 - 9:25am.

Washington - A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Friday would create a national database of child pornography images -- both real and "cartoon" -- and require Internet service providers to monitor traffic and report such images to authorities.

Lawmakers Revive Net Neutrality Bill in U.S. Senate

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 10, 2007 - 10:29am.

Washington - A proposal to prevent big network operators from charging higher fees for faster access to their broadband lines -- commonly referred to as "Net neutrality" -- was resurrected in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.

Proposal Would Force Va. Sex Offenders to Register E-mail Addresses

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 11, 2006 - 3:42pm.

Richmond, Va. - Marking the first legislation of its kind in the nation, convicted sex offenders in Virginia could soon be required to register their e-mail addresses, instant messaging screen names and chat handles into a statewide database. Under the proposal by Attorney General Bob McDonnell, websites would be able to use the list to block sex offenders, and law enforcement officials could also use it as a tool to fight online predators.

U.S. Senate Approves Bill That Would Outlaw "Pretexting"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 11, 2006 - 3:36pm.

Washington - The U.S. Senate on Friday approved a bill that would outlaw the practice of "pretexting," or obtaining the phone records of someone without their permission, CNET News.com reported. The action follows revelations that executives at HP used the practice to obtain the cell phone records of several journalists and board members in order to identify the source of boardroom leaks.

Louisiana Judge Permanently Blocks Violent Video Game Law

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 30, 2006 - 3:03pm.

Washington - A federal judge in Louisiana has blocked implementation of a state law that would have banned the sale of violent video games to minors.

Appeals Court Upholds Injunction on Illinois Video Game Law

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 28, 2006 - 2:41pm.

Chicago - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has upheld a lower court ruling that declared an Illinois law banning the sale of sexually explicit games to minors in the state to be unconstitutional.

New Legislation Sparks Sharp Drop in Visits to Online Gambling Sites

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 13, 2006 - 2:29pm.

Reston, Va. - Legislation passed by Congress in early October sparked a sharp drop in traffic to online gambling sites last month, according to new figures from comScore Media Metrix. The firm said that visits to the sites dropped 27%.

Bush Signs Bill Banning Internet Gambling

Authored by Robert Spears on October 13, 2006 - 1:21pm.

Washington, DC - President Bush today signed into law a ban on online wagering. The legislation was included in the SAFE Port Act. The decision by the Republican majority to lump the Internet gambling ban onto the bipartisan ports bill had drawn loud criticism from industry groups for the legalization and regulation of online gambling. Opponents of the new law include Poker Players Alliance a grassroots advocacy organization of more than 110,000 poker enthusiasts. "Today is a dark day for the great American game of poker," said Michael Bolcerek, president of alliance.

UK Gambling Firms Start Pulling Out Of US Ahead of Ban

Authored by Jay Baage on October 13, 2006 - 8:14am.

Britain's Sportingbet and Leisure & Gaming both pulled out of the United States ahead of a ban on Internet gambling on Friday, each selling their U.S. operations to private investors for $1. Smaller rival World Gaming meanwhile said it was impossible to continue in business and called in administrators. All three companies were rushing to complete the deals before President George W. Bush signed a bill to prohibit Internet gambling into law on Friday.

Congress Approves Ban on Internet Gambling

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 2, 2006 - 1:54pm.

Washington - Congress on Saturday approved a bill that would ban most forms of Internet gambling in the U.S. The legislation prohibits banks and credit card companies from accepting transactions from would-be U.S. customers and Internet gambling sites, and assesses fines or penalties for those who fail to comply. The bill was attached to unrelated legislation aimed at improving port security, after an earlier attempt by Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) to add it to a defense spending bill failed.

Analysis: Online Gambling Ban is a Step Backward, Not Forward

Authored by Jay Baage on October 2, 2006 - 10:55am.

Over the weekend, Republican legislators successfully slipped an online gambling prohibition amendment into a port security bill that leaders of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives agreed to pass. After being in the works for over 10 years, the legislation is now expected to be approved and signed into law by President Bush effective within two weeks. A general ban on online gambling is a bad idea and will adversely affect the US Economy in general and the media industry in particular.

Morning Links: October 2, 2006

Authored by Robert Spears on October 2, 2006 - 4:05am.

R: Congress Approves Internet Gambling Ban
AFP: Bush to Sign Bill to Prevent Internet Gambling
AFP: British Gaming Shares Crash after US Bill Passess
MW: PartyGaming, 888 Holdings Prepare to Fold US Operations
PR Newswire Acquires U.S. Newswire for $19M
Aspiro Acquires Mobile TV Pioneer Rubberduck for $4.7M
Digital Realty Trust Acquires NY, VA Datacenters from AboveNet for $40M
eM: Video Game Market to Grow from $29B in 2005 to up to $44B in 2011
eM: Mobile Content to Account for only 3% of Wireless Revenues by 2010
NYT: Netflix to Award $1M for Improving Movie Recommendations
AFP: “Stop, I've Been Stolen!” Mobile Phone System Sounds Theft Alert
NYT: Ads from Cellphone Carriers Focus on Competitors’ Shortcomings
AW: Marketing Lessons for Today’s Digital Market
NYT: Wanted - A Way to Profit by Simplifying Web Classifieds
NYT: Viacom Rests Its Hopes on MTV Chairwoman Judith McGrath
RH: Weblo, a Virtual Community that is like Monopoly on Steroids
LAT: What's Holding up Apple’s Movie Downloads
BB: Latest MP3 Players Now Come Equipped with Songs
TR: Interactive Diagram of Negroponte’s Hundred-Dollar Laptop
AP: Google Buys Garage Where Empire Began

Internet Gambling Bill May Not Get Vote Before Congressional Recess

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 27, 2006 - 6:13am.

Washington - A bill that would ban most forms of Internet gambling in the U.S. may not come up for a vote before the end of the week, when the Congressional session concludes for the midterm elections, Reuters reported. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), one of the bill's proponents, had sought to tack the legislation onto a pending defense bill. But Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner (R-Va.) wrote in a letter to Frist on Monday that he has "firmly opposed putting any (unrelated) bills in the conference report." The bill's proponents are still working to add the gambling bill to different pending legislation. "I wouldn't pronounce it dead yet," a senior Democratic aide told Reuters.

California Senate Approves Video Franchising Bill

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 31, 2006 - 5:30pm.

Sacramento, Calif. - The California State Senate voted 33-4 on Wednesday night in favor of a bill that would open the state's cable franchising process and make it easier for telecommunications firms like Verizon and AT&T to offer digital video services in California.

Minnesota to Appeal Ruling That Tossed Out Video Game Law

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 30, 2006 - 12:56pm.

St. Paul, Minn. - Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch has announced plans to appeal a federal court ruling that declared the state's law fining minors who attempted to purchase M-rated games unconstitutional.

Judge Blocks Louisiana Video Game Law

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 25, 2006 - 1:17pm.

Baton Rogue, La. - A federal judge has blocked a Louisiana law that would ban the sale of video games to minors if an average person would conclude the games "depict violence in a manner patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community with respect to what is suitable for minors."

California Lawmakers Vote to Overhaul Cable TV Franchising Process

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 18, 2006 - 11:55am.

Thousand Oaks, Calif. - The California Senate Appropriations Committee voted yesterday to overhaul the state's cable franchising process, approving a bill that would allow telecommunications firms to more easily launch digital video services in California.

Washington Post: U.S., Antigua Tussle at WTO Over 'Net Gambling

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 4, 2006 - 12:02pm.

Washington - The Washington Post on Friday reported on the ongoing dispute at the World Trade Organization (WTO) between the island nation of Antigua and Barbuda and the U.S. over Internet gambling. After the U.S. cracked down on offshore online casino operators in 2002, the island nation filed a complaint at the WTO, claiming U.S. laws prohibiting Internet gambling violated international trade accords. Antigua won an initial ruling in 2004, which said the U.S. must either ban all forms of online gambling -- Americans can currently wager on horses online -- or allow offshore sites to accept wagers from U.S. citizens. However, the U.S. may simply choose to ignore the ruling, in which case Antigua plans to ask the WTO for the right to copy and export U.S. DVDs and CDs as a form of sanction.

Minnesota Judge Overturns Violent Video Game Sales Law

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 1, 2006 - 5:15pm.

Washington - A Minnesota judge has overturned a law banning the sale of violent video games to minors passed by lawmakers in the state, ruling the law to be unconstitutional. "This ruling is of particular interest because lawmakers tried to skirt the First Amendment issue by fining minors themselves for buying the games, not retailers, as they have tried in other states," said Doug Lowenstein, president of the video game industry's Entertainment Software Association.

Payments Firm Neteller Blames Layoffs on U.S. 'Net Gambling Ban

Senate Bill Would Create Child Porn Database, Require ISP Monitoring

Lawmakers Revive Net Neutrality Bill in U.S. Senate

Proposal Would Force Va. Sex Offenders to Register E-mail Addresses

U.S. Senate Approves Bill That Would Outlaw "Pretexting"

Louisiana Judge Permanently Blocks Violent Video Game Law

Appeals Court Upholds Injunction on Illinois Video Game Law

New Legislation Sparks Sharp Drop in Visits to Online Gambling Sites

Bush Signs Bill Banning Internet Gambling

UK Gambling Firms Start Pulling Out Of US Ahead of Ban

Congress Approves Ban on Internet Gambling

Analysis: Online Gambling Ban is a Step Backward, Not Forward

Morning Links: October 2, 2006

Internet Gambling Bill May Not Get Vote Before Congressional Recess

California Senate Approves Video Franchising Bill

Minnesota to Appeal Ruling That Tossed Out Video Game Law

Judge Blocks Louisiana Video Game Law

California Lawmakers Vote to Overhaul Cable TV Franchising Process

Washington Post: U.S., Antigua Tussle at WTO Over 'Net Gambling

Minnesota Judge Overturns Violent Video Game Sales Law

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