Telecommunications Law in the Internet Age (eBook)

Front Cover 1
Telecommunications Law in the Internet Age 4
Copyiright Page 5
Contents 8
Chapter 1. Introduction—The New Telecommunications Environment 22
1.1 New Transport Technologies 23
1.2 Converged Voice, Data, Video, and Graphics Systems 23
1.3 Legal Changes 24
1.4 International Telecommunications Equipment Markets 26
1.5 Technical Standards 27
1.6 What Is Communicated? 27
1.7 With Whom Are We Communicating? 7 28
1.8 Where Are We Communicating? 28
1.9 New Local Access Options 28
1.10 Universal Service Fund Support of Internet Connections 29
1.11 Structural Changes 29
Conclusion 30
Endnotes 30
Part I: The New Competitive Telecommunications Environment 32
Chapter 2. Competition and Regulation—A Continuing Telecommunications Cycle 32
2.1 Competition versus Regulation—Seeking a Balance 33
2.2 Early Competition in the Communications Industry 38
2.3 The Rise of the Bell System Dominance 42
2.4 Regulation of the Communications Industry 44
2.5 Technological Convergence and Renewed Competition 50
Conclusion 68
Endnotes 69
Chapter 3. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 76
3.1 Purpose of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 77
3.2 Structure and Organization of the 1996 Act—47 U.S.C. §§167 151 et seq. 80
3.3. Definitions—Section 3 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 82
3.4 Provisions to Open the Competitive Market 89
3.5 Duties and Obligations of Carriers 96
3.6 Challenges to the Constitutionality of Section 271 Requirements 113
Conclusion 116
Endnotes 117
Chapter 4. Outstanding Issues from the Telecommunications Act of 1996 120
4.1 Local Number Portability 120
4.2 Universal Service 129
4.3 Access 133
4.4 Reciprocal Compensation—Payment for Transport and Termination of Communications 138
Conclusion 165
Endnotes 166
Part II: Embracing the Expanded Global Telecommunications Market 172
Chapter 5. The World Trade Organization and Its Telecommunications-Related Agreements 172
5.1 Historical International Trade—Goods, Not Services 173
5.2 1948—The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 176
5.3 December 1992—North American Free Trade Agreement NAFTA 186
5.4 March 1994—The Global Information Infrastructure (GII) Concept is Introduced 189
5.5 April 15, 1994—Uruguay Round Concluded, WTO Created in Marrakesh, Morocco 189
5.6 April 24, 1996—Initial Results of the Negotiations on Basic Telecommunications 209
5.7 December 1996—Singapore Ministerial Conference 211
5.8 February 15, 1997—WTO Agreement on Basic Telecommunications 212
5.9 April 15, 1997—Fourth Protocol to GATS Adopted 212
Conclusion 213
Endnotes 214
Chapter 6. Participating in Global Telecommunications Trade: U.S. Import and Export Laws 218
6.1 U.S. Trade Laws 220
6.2 U.S. Export Laws 225
6.3 Implementing Agencies 226
6.4 What Is Exported? 230
6.5 To Whom Is the Product Exported? 234
6.6 How Are Exports Conducted? 236
6.7 Record Retention Requirements 241
6.8 Penalties for Violations of Export Laws 242
6.9 Drafting International Trade Contracts 244
6.10 Establishing an Export Compliance Program 247
Conclusion 249
Endnotes 249
Chapter 7. Licensing to Protect Telecommunications Intellectual Property 254
7.1 U.S. Patent Law 256
7.2 U.S. Trademark Law 257
7.3 U.S. Trade Secret Law 257
7.4 U.S. Copyright Law 259
7.5 The Legality of Reverse Engineering and Restrictive License Clauses 265
7.6 The European Software Directive 268
7.7 "Must Include" Concepts for Software Licenses 271
7.8 Model License 273
Conclusion 275
Endnotes 275
Part III: Legal Issues with Advanced Technologies 280
Chapter 8. Privacy 280
8.1 Introduction 281
8.2 The Evolution of a Legal Right to Privacy 282
8.3 Federal Privacy Laws Protecting Communications in Transit and in Storage 290
8.4 Federal Privacy Laws Protecting Personal Information in Government Databases 296
8.5 Federal Privacy Laws Protecting Personal Bank and Financial Information 302
8.6 Federal Privacy Laws Protecting Private Databases from Searches and Seizures by Government Officials 306
8.7 Federal Privacy Laws Prohibiting Illegal Access to Protected Computers 307
8.8 Federal Privacy Laws Prohibiting Unwanted and Harassing Communications 311
8.9 Federal Privacy Laws Protecting Information about Children 315
8.10 State Privacy Laws 318
8.11 Collection, Use, and Dissemination of Personal Information without Permission 318
8.12 Solutions to Collection and Use of Information without Permission 325
8.13 Application of Privacy Law to Modern Technologies and Services 333
8.14 International Privacy Concerns 339
Conclusion 341
Endnotes 342
Chapter 9. Encryption 348
9.1 Encryption Technology 351
9.2 Early Use of Encryption in the United States 355
9.3 Private-Key Cryptosystems 360
9.4 Public-Key: Cryptosystems 363
9.5 Comparison of Private-Key and Public-Key Encryption Technologies 373
9.6 Law Enforcement and National Security Concerns with Public Use of Encryption 374
9.7 International Encryption Policies 388
9.8 U.S. Reaction to International Views of Encryption 396
9.9 Court Cases Reviewing the U.S. Encryption Export Restrictions 399
9.10 Changes in 2000 404
9.11 State Laws Concerning Encryption, Key Escrow, and Digital Signatures 405
Conclusion 405
Endnotes 406
Chapter 10. Cyberlaw: Evolving Legal Issues with the Internet 410
10.1 Commerce on the Internet 411
10.2 Jurisdiction 417
10.3 Taxation 421
10.4 Trademark/Domain Names 428
10.5 Copyright 434
10.6 Trade Secrets 438
10.7 Defamation on the Internet 439
10.8 Liability of ISPs and Computer System Operators 440
10.9 Obscenity and Violence on the Internet 442
10.10 Fraud on the Internet 445
Conclusion 447
Endnotes 447
Appendix A. Key Documents and Decisions Concerning Local Number Portability 450
Appendix B. Key Documents and Decisions Concerning Universal Service 452
Appendix C. Key Documents and Decisions Concerning Access and Reciprocal Compensation 454
Appendix D. Legal Instruments Embodying the Results of the Uruguay Round 464
Appendix E. Membership of the World Trade Organization 468
Appendix F. Commitments and Most Favored Nation Exemptions 472
Appendix G. Chapters within Title 19 of the U. S. Code Customs Duties 484
Appendix H. State Privacy Laws 486
Appendix I. Resources to Detect and Delete Cookies 500
Appendix J. State Laws Concerning Encryption, Key Escrow, and Digital Signatures 504
Index 524