The Copyright Office is accepting comments through Nov. 25 on a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking on the Music Modernization Act. The supplemental notice updates the CO’s July 17 proposed rule for the MMA’s “transition period transfer and reporting of royalties to the mechanical licensing collective,” the CO said Thursday. The supplemental notice “provides an alternate approach to requirements concerning the content of cumulative statements of account to be submitted by digital music providers to the mechanical licensing collective at the conclusion of the statutory transition period and proposes estimate and adjustment provisions with respect to payment of accrued royalties to the mechanical licensing collective in connection with this reporting.”

All respondents accused in the International Trade Commission probe of infringing Philips high-bandwidth digital content protection patents (see 2010190036) asked Administrative Law Judge Cameron Elliot for an 11-day deadline extension to Nov. 20 for responding. “The ability of Respondents to fully investigate and compile the information necessary to respond to Philips is limited by the current pandemic and corresponding restrictions,” said their motion (login required) Tuesday in docket 337-TA-1224: Philips and ITC staff don’t oppose the extension. The accused products include Dell, HP and Lenovo PCs; Hisense, LG and TCL smart TVs; and Intel, MediaTek and Realtek processors.

International Trade Commission Administrative Law Judge MaryJoan McNamara granted TCL’s motion for a two-week deadline extension to Nov. 17 to file its response to DivX allegations that TCL smart TVs infringe four patents on adaptive bit rate streaming, said her order (login required) in docket 337-TA-1222. Commissioners voted Oct. 14 to open a Tariff Act Section 337 investigation into the allegations against LG, Samsung and TCL smart TVs and MediaTek, MStar and Realtek video processors (see 2010140042). Only TCL asked for the extension, and DivX didn’t oppose the motion. The others were due to have filed their responses Tuesday.

Voice + is CTA’s new name for the dialogue enhancement feature that the Dolby AC-4 audio codec enables in ATSC 3.0-certified TVs that qualify for the NextGenTV logo, said the association Monday. CTA’s Video Division board approved Voice +, authorizing licensed TV makers to begin using the name on their 2021 model lines, it said. Dialogue enhancement scored high grades when demonstrated for consumers in Pearl TV’s Phoenix Model Market focus groups two years ago, said Magid Research, which did the studies (see 1904110037). In one demo, Dolby recorded loud cocktail party conversations and played them through speakers in the back of the viewing room, toggling the enhancement feature on and off to show how it makes pleasurable TV watching possible, even in noisy environments. AC-4 also enables consistent audio volume across all channels, a benefit highlighted at Pearl’s new WatchNextGenTV.com. CTA applied for the Voice + trademark Oct. 21 (see 2010290016). CTA also announced Monday the availability of the test suite TVs will need to pass to qualify for the NextGenTV logo. The suite includes more than 135 tests covering 150 "unique requirements across audio, video, captions, interactivity, service changes and more," said the association.

CTA applied to register VOICE + as a trademark to be used for TVs, Patent and Trademark Office records show. CTA “has a bona fide intention, and is entitled, to use the mark in commerce,” said the Oct. 21 application. The association declined comment Thursday.

International Trade Commission Administrative Law Judge MaryJoan McNamara set an April 2022 target date for completing the Tariff Act Section 337 investigation into allegations that LG, Samsung and TCL smart TVs and MediaTek, MStar and Realtek video processors infringe four DivX patents on adaptive bit rate streaming (see 2010140042), said her order (login required) posted Wednesday in docket 337-TA-1222. Under the ITC’s “pandemic evacuation” plan, ALJs won’t accept filings on paper, CDs or other physical media, she said. Hearings will be on Webex until the ITC issues notice that its headquarters “will once more be open” to the public, she said. Her order scheduled the first evidentiary hearing for July 7 “at a location to be announced closer to the Hearing date.”

CTA doesn’t “anticipate needing any further extensions” of the Patent and Trademark Office’s deadline for filing a statement of use (SOU) in the association’s application for the NEXTGEN TV logo as a certification mark on ATSC 3.0-compliant TVs, emailed Brian Markwalter, senior vice president-research and standards. CTA was granted a six-month extension last week to April 21, and is entitled to four more (see 2010230046). The original SOU deadline “was around the same time that compliant TVs with the logo were entering the market,” Markwalter said Monday. “Now that compliant TVs from multiple manufacturers are in the market and the logo is clearly in use, CTA is in the process of filing the appropriate SOU with evidence of use in commerce.” PTO requires SOUs before issuing registration certificates to prevent applicants from intentionally hoarding trademarks.

The Patent and Trademark Office granted CTA its first six-month deadline extension request for a statement of use (SOU) in its application to register the NEXTGEN TV logo as a certification mark for ATSC 3.0-compliant TVs (see 1909260021), said an agency notice Friday. PTO requires the SOU before a registration certificate can be issued to prevent applicants from hoarding trademarks they have no intention of using commercially. Applicants are entitled to five deadline extensions of six months each but must file the SOU within three years after the issue date of the notice of allowance, which in CTA’s case would be April 21, 2023. CTA has a “continued bona fide intention” to use the logo in commerce, said its Wednesday extension request. PTO doesn’t require applicants to say why they want SOU deadline extensions, and CTA didn’t offer an explanation. The association didn't comment Friday. CTA last landed a certification mark registration certificate from PTO in April 2019 for the 4K Ultra HD logo, but not before the association filed for three SOU deadline extensions over two years.

Cable TV advertising interconnects are supposed to be "a fair, inclusive, efficient and competitive marketplace for advertisers, cable operators and consumers," Viamedia said Tuesday. It responded to NCTA's amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to hear Comcast's appeal of an appellate court's decision in antitrust litigation brought by Viamedia (see 2010140013). Viamedia supported interconnects "as long as they are properly administered by the Interconnect manager on behalf of current and prospective cable operators which compete for advertising dollars as well as video and broadband subscribers. A great modern example is the New York City Interconnect which features a board of directors and oversight designed to help ensure fair and competitive pricing, proper inventory allocation and full participation from all area cable operators.” It said it wasn't commenting on last week's other SCOTUS amicus briefs because they echo what was filed previously with the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

International Trade Commissioners voted to open a Tariff Act Section 337 investigation into Philips allegations that Dell, HP and Lenovo PCs, Hisense, LG and TCL smart TVs and Intel, MediaTek and Realtek processors infringe Philips high-bandwidth digital content protection patents (see 2010080048 or 2010060026), said a notice (login required) posted Monday in docket 337-TA-1224. Respondents have 20 days to respond. The investigation was assigned (login required) to Administrative Law Judge Cameron Elliot. Philips seeks an exclusion order against the allegedly infringing products and components.