Law Commons^™

Dial 911 And Report A Congressional Empty Promise: The Wireless Communications And Public Safety Act Of 1999, Peter P. Ten Eyck

Federal Communications Law Journal

Designed to promote the prompt deployment of a seamless emergency services infrastructure to meet the nation's safety needs, the 911 Act not only instructs the FCC to assign the abbreviated dialing code 911 for use as the universal emergency telephone number, but also directs the Commission to establish appropriate transition periods for compliance in areas without 911 service. Furthermore, the 911 Act supports individual states' efforts to develop comprehensive emergency communications. Although improving the 911 system and saving lives by developing an end-to-end emergency communications network are commendable goals, this Note argues that the anemic 911 Act is an important …

Does Internet Gambling Strengthen The U.S. Economy? Don't Bet On It, Ryan D. Hammer

Federal Communications Law Journal

Commercial gambling in the United States is a mammoth industry. In the past few decades, the United States developed from a country with few gambling options to one permitting some form of legalized gambling in almost every state. Presently, a new wave of technology affects this industry. Legislators and regulators must deal with the phenomenon of Internet gambling. This Note asserts that Internet gambling must be curbed to lessen its negative impact on the American economy. Many state and local governments are dependent on tax revenues associated with traditional forms of gambling. Internet gambling not only deprives the economy of …

The Private Workplace And The Proposed “Notice Of Electronic Monitoring Act”: Is “Notice” Enough?, Nathan Watson

Federal Communications Law Journal

On July 20, 2000, an interesting mix of federal legislators proposed legislation that would affect monitoring of employee communications and computer usage in the workplace. Had it passed, NEMA would have required employers to notify their employees if they wished to conduct surveillance of their employees' electronic mail ("e-mail") or other electronic communications. Employer groups succeeded in convincing the Judiciary Committee to pull the bill from further consideration, citing a potential increase in litigation and more work for human resources professionals. This Note argues that NEMA should be adopted, since it would improve the current state of affairs relating to …

The Public Interest Standard: Is It Too Indeterminate To Be Constitutional?, Randolph J. May

Federal Communications Law Journal

This Article argues that the congressional delegation of public interest authority to the FCC likely violates the nondelegation doctrine that inheres in the constitutional separation of powers scheme and that, even if the courts do not hold the public interest delegation unconstitutional, Congress should revise the Communications Act to set forth more specific guidance for the FCC. In today’s environment of “convergence,” in which competition is flourishing across communications sectors, Congress should not shirk its responsibility to establish fundamental policy for an industry that contributes so much to the overall health of our economy. This Article argues that Congress should …

Use Of Public Record Databases In Newspaper And Television Newsrooms, Brooke Barnett

Federal Communications Law Journal

After almost fifty years of unprecedented freedom, access to public records is under threat today at the state and federal level. Survey research and in-depth interviews of newspaper and television journalists show that public records are being obtained through several mechanisms, including databases. This Comment, together with its underlying study, illustrates that these databases are essential to developing certain stories, including some covering the most critical subjects: investigative reports, crime, and political stories. Therefore, this Comment argues, restricting access to public records has the potential to halt or substantially hinder the media’s ability to serve as a check on business …

The Best Laid Plans: How Unrestrained Arbitration Decisions Have Corrupted The Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, Ian L. Stewart

Federal Communications Law Journal

In the rapidly changing Internet age, a sound dispute resolution policy is needed to address conflict where traditional rights intersect emerging technologies. This Note examines how unfettered arbitration decisions, even those made with the best of intentions, can corrupt a good dispute resolution policy, as is the case with the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy. The Note provides background information on ICANN, domain disputes regarding cybersquatting and reverse domain hijacking, and the Policy. It then explains how ICANN’s dispute resolution providers’ expansive decisions have weakened the Policy by removing the internal limitations that made it strong and effective. Finally, …

Protecting Privacy And Enabling Pharmaceutical Sales On The Internet: A Comparative Analysis Of The United States And Canada, Nicole A. Rothstein

Federal Communications Law Journal

The Internet raises enhanced and unique concerns regarding informational health privacy and Internet pharmacy sales. As technology advances and the Internet changes the way people obtain medical services and products, protecting consumers and their informational health data in online pharmaceutical transactions is paramount. This Comment charts and compares the existing legal frameworks in the United States and Canada relative to informational health privacy. Following this discussion, each legal framework comes into sharp focus with regard to Internet pharmacy sales. Ultimately, this Comment concludes that based on the highly sensitive nature of personal medical information, a baseline privacy standard should be …

Is Isp-Bound Traffic Local Or Interstate?, Thomas W. Bonnett

Federal Communications Law Journal

The shape of communications policy has been influenced by the jurisdictional tension between federal and state agencies and by the interplay between rival telecommunication providers. From the outset, the publicly switched telephone network (“PSTN”) was monopolistic and dually regulated by federal and state agencies. In recent years, facilitated by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, vast competition in the local exchange market has developed between incumbent carriers and competitive carriers. This Article provides an overview of this competition and analyzes the dual regulation of the PSTN. In addition, this Article discusses the dispute between incumbents and competitive carriers as to whether …

In Search Of Congressional Intent, William Malone

Federal Communications Law Journal

Book Review: The Communications Act: A Legislative History of the Major Amendments, 1934-1996, Max D. Paglin ed., Pike & Fischer, Inc., 1999, 438 pages.

The Communications Act: A Legislative History of the Major Amendments 1934-1996, a second volume of the important literary legacy of the Golden Jubilee Commission on Telecommunications, has recently appeared beside the well-thumbed copy of its sister volume, A Legislative History of the Communications Act of 1934, in the library of every diligent communications lawyer. In this Review, William Malone discusses both the content and the format of this legislative history, as well as the continuing relevance …

Taking Account Of The World As It Will Be: The Shifting Course Of U.S. Encryption Policy, Tricia E. Black

Federal Communications Law Journal

Encryption, understood on a basic level as the process of scrambling information to disguise its content, has been a topic of intense debate over the past decade because of Internet growth and well-founded concerns about online security. The encryption debate centers on striking an appropriate balance between national security concerns and the potential prosperity of the high-tech industry. The Clinton Administration played an important role in relaxing U.S. encryption policy. This Note argues that the dramatic shift in encryption policy resulted from a recognition of how the world will be in the digital age, and that strong, unregulated encryption technology …