All articles tagged with #licenses
Techdirt analyzes Sony’s defense in a California case, arguing that digital PlayStation purchases are licenses rather than ownership and that California law requires clear license disclosures. Sony contends that reasonable consumers understand this, but the author argues many don’t and that DRM and revocable licenses complicate ownership, fueling public backlash over disc-less futures.
ABC, owned by Disney, filed to renew eight broadcast licenses while blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for an allegedly unconstitutional early-renewal push aimed at pressuring editorial decisions; Carr says the move is tied to Disney’s nondiscrimination probe, and the dispute could drag on for months or years with the public-interest and legal implications at stake, affecting major markets like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr warns broadcasters could lose licenses if they air what he calls “fake news” about the Iran war, prompting Republican Sen. Ron Johnson to push back and prompting Democrats like Elizabeth Warren and Gov. Gavin Newsom to accuse the threat of censorship; Carr doubles down on the public-interest rationale, while critics say such threats trample the First Amendment and note the FCC’s limited power to enforce them.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr said broadcasters must serve the public interest or risk losing their licenses, escalating a dispute sparked by Trump’s criticism of Iran coverage. Democrats call the postura unconstitutional, while the FCC argues its authority over broadcast content is limited and licenses are issued to stations (not networks) with a mandate to operate in the public interest.
Immigrant Punjabi Sikh truckers in California have sued the DMV after the agency revoked their licenses due to clerical errors related to expiration dates, risking widespread unemployment and supply chain disruptions. The lawsuit, filed by the Sikh Coalition and Asian Law Caucus, argues that the DMV failed to follow legal procedures and that the action was influenced by federal pressure, highlighting broader issues of racial profiling and industry impact. The case underscores ongoing tensions around immigrant drivers, licensing standards, and racial discrimination in the U.S. trucking industry.
Minnesota held its first lotteries for recreational cannabis business licenses nearly two years after legalization, marking a significant step in establishing a legal marijuana market. The lotteries included social equity applicants and general applicants, with winners needing to pass further checks before fully licensing and opening their businesses. The process aims to promote an equitable and safe cannabis industry, with tribes and applicants working towards finalizing licenses and opening stores.
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) has selected five companies out of 33 applicants to receive integrated licenses for the state's new medical marijuana industry. These companies will be responsible for cultivating, processing, transporting, and dispensing medical cannabis. The licenses are expected to be issued on January 9, 2022, after license fees are received and site inspections are conducted. The AMCC hopes that medical cannabis products will be available by spring 2024. The selected companies are Trulieve Alabama, Sustainable Alabama, Wagon Trail Med-Serv, Flowerwood Medical Cannabis, and Specialty Medical Products of Alabama.
Ohio has become the 24th state to legalize recreational marijuana, but there are several restrictions and delays in place. While individuals over 21 can possess a limited amount of cannabis, there are currently no authorized sellers, and licenses for retailers won't be processed until June. It may be late summer or early fall before legal sales begin. Transporting marijuana across state lines is illegal, and ordering it through the mail is prohibited by federal law. The Ohio Senate is proposing modifications to the law, including increasing the sales tax and outlining advertising parameters. Governor Mike DeWine urges the quick granting of licenses to prevent an expanding black market. Ohioans can currently grow up to six plants individually or a dozen plants for households, but the Senate is seeking to limit it to six plants per household.
The battle between open source and "sort of" open source is not a new phenomenon. Companies have been taking open source code and either transforming it into proprietary software or cloaking it in a proprietary wrapper for years. This includes erasing licenses, shifting rules, and creating open core or source-available models. Recent examples include HashiCorp's switch from the Mozilla Public License to the Business Source License, MongoDB's adoption of the Server Side Public License, and Elastic's move away from the Apache 2.0 license. Red Hat has also faced criticism for restricting the use of its Red Hat Enterprise Linux code. While these moves have sparked controversy, they have proven to be successful business strategies, driven by a desire for more profit. The tension between making money and adhering to open source principles continues to be a challenge in the software industry.
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission has re-awarded licenses for the production and distribution of medical cannabis after a two-month delay caused by questions about the evaluation process. Most of the previously awarded licenses were restored, and additional licenses were granted to firms looking to grow medical cannabis. The commission may consider new applications in the future. The University of South Alabama identified human errors in the evaluation process, including duplicate scores and data entry mistakes. The commission aims to be more transparent and independent in its decision-making. The medical cannabis program in Alabama was approved in 2021 and will allow patients with certain conditions to use medical cannabis in various forms, excluding smoking and food consumption.
The rollout of a new online system for purchasing antlerless deer licenses caused widespread slowness and intermittent errors, both online and in-stores, on the first day of license purchases in Pennsylvania. Hunters reported a crashing website and long lines for in-person purchases. The Pennsylvania Game Commission apologized for the issues and is working to resolve them. Senate Game and Fisheries Committee Chair Greg Rothman called the launch unacceptable and promised to work with all involved parties to address the problem.
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission has put a hold on the licenses it issued on Monday due to "potential inconsistencies" in how applicants were scored. The commission will seek an independent review of all scoring data, impacting the procedural requirements of the program. The licenses that were awarded on June 12th will not issue on July 10th. The AMCC officials have said they expect medical cannabis products to be available by late this year or early next year.
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission has awarded licenses to 21 companies that will be part of the state's new medical marijuana industry as cultivators, processors, transporters, dispensaries, and a testing lab. The AMCC chose the licensees from 90 companies that applied. The companies chosen have 14 days to pay their licensing fee. The AMCC plans to issue licenses on July 10.
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission has granted licenses to 21 companies out of 90 applicants for medical marijuana businesses, including growers, processors, and dispensaries. The commission could award up to 12 cultivator licenses, four processor licenses, four dispensary licenses, five integrated facility licenses, and an unspecified number of secure transport and state testing laboratory licenses. Physicians may begin the certification process to recommend medical cannabis after business licenses have been issued. The commission intends to open a second offering of licenses for cultivators, secure transporters, and state testing laboratories.
The New York State Cannabis Control Board has awarded four provisional dispensary licenses to individuals and organizations in Western New York, marking the first licenses to be allocated to the region. The licenses are conditional adult-use retail dispensary licenses, allowing business owners to legally open adult-use recreational marijuana dispensaries. The recipients include three organizations and one individual, all of whom are justice-involved applicants. The licenses are provisional, meaning license-holders will have to submit a secondary supplemental application and notify the municipality they'll be operating in.