The FCC is examining ways to crack down wireless providers that fail to notify their customers before they incur hefty fees and insurmountable phone bills.

An initiative launched Tuesday by the commission's Consumer and Government Affairs Bureau would solicit ideas on ways for cell phone companies to alert callers before they exceeded limits on their data plans, triggered serious roaming charges or consumed far more than their alotted monthly minutes. 

The effort is meant to address the so-called "bill shock" that has plagued wireless customers across providers, according to the commission.

"There can be many causes of bill shock, including unclear or misunderstood advertising, unanticipated roaming or data charges, and other problems,” said Joel Gurin, who leads the FCC's consumer wing. “All can lead to charges that people don’t expect to get."

One plan would require cell phone companies to text their customers before they are slapped with high and unexpected charges. A similar system is already in place in Europe, the FCC noted in a release announcing it would solicit public comment on the matter.

"In the European Union, carriers are required by law to send text messages to consumers when they are running up roaming charges or getting close to a set limit for data roaming," he continued. "We’re issuing a Public Notice to see if there’s any reason that American carriers can’t use similar automatic alerts to inform consumers when they are at risk of running up a high bill.”

What we're following the morning of Tuesday, May 11...

Google opponents warn books deal would violate international law (Hillicon Valley) -- A group opposed to Google's plan to put book excerpts online is warning the action could lead to an international tribunal. ... Microsoft, Amazon, Yahoo! and others in a coalition opposed to Google's plans say the deal could violate two international treaties that grant exclusive rights to writers and other copyright holders, lawyer Cynthia Arato wrote in a memo produced with the Open Book Alliance.

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Greetings folks, it's a pleasure to be taking up residence next to Tony here at Hillicon Valley. My name is Gautham Nagesh and I come to you from Government Executive magazine, where I covered technology in the executive branch, with a short pit stop at the Daily Caller to write about national politics.

One piece of interesting news this afternoon from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: the management subcommittee has reported a bill this afternoon that would considerably beef up the federal government's efforts to secure its networks. In addition to increasing the monitoring requirements for agencies, the bill would also require a permanent national office to oversee cybersecurity, building on President Obama's appointment last year of the nation's first cyber security czar Howard Schmidt.  Schmidt's appointment came after months of speculation on the relative influence of the position; it will be worth tracking this legislation to see if it finally gives the cyber czar some ability to affect change instead of simply making recommendations.

Here's the full email from the subcommittee (emphasis mine):

Technology. The House Oversight and Government Reform Government Management Subcommittee today reported legislation mandating the creation of a permanent national office for cyberspace within the White House to oversee federal agency efforts to protect computer systems from terrorist attacks and other threats. Under the bill, which cleared the subpanel on a voice vote, the office would have a Senate-confirmed director and include a panel of government information technology experts tasked with guiding agency programs to tighten their computer security systems. The legislation would effectively institutionalize the White House Office of Cyber-Security Coordinator created by President Obama by executive order last year and now headed by Howard Schmidt, a veteran computer industry official who served as an adviser to President George W. Bush. The legislation would also direct agencies to develop automatic systems for continuously monitoring their computer networks for deficiencies and risks instead of - as they are required to do now - filing annual reports showing compliance with the standards of the Federal Information Security Management Act.

TOP STORIES ON HILLICON VALLEY:
GOP launches SCOTUS channel to chronicle confirmation fight - The Hill
Computer software theft booms in China - The Hill
Google opponents: Book deal violates international law - The Hill
Kagan signaled support in '09 cameras in SCOTUS chamber - The Hill

AROUND THE TECH BLOGOSPHERE:
Group raises issues about online drug marketing - Juliana Gruenwald, Tech Daily Dose
Bernstein analyst downgrades cable stock after FCC move - Cecilia Kang, Post Tech
State court: Internet filtering at libraries constitutional - Jacqui Cheng, ars technica
Report: Android surpasses iPhone in U.S. - Margueritte Reardon, CNet
Twitter bug caused users to lose followers - AFP

Republicans kicked off the battle over Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court by chronicling all their videos on a new YouTube channel.

The Senate GOP launched a "Supreme Court Channel" that includes interviews with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), other Senate Republicans, and archived videos of last year's confirmation hearings for now-Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Google's corporate communications team flagged the creation of the channel this morning, when President Barack Obama tapped Kagan to join the high court.

Senate Republicans have said they will thoroughly pore over the solicitor general's record throughout the confirmation process, and they have not ruled out a filibuster.

Check out the new channel here.

Cross-posted to the Briefing Room.

Computer software piracy may have declined in China over the past year, but the black market business still raked in a whopping $19 billion in 2009.

That means 12 percent of the entire country's software market last year was comprised of stolen computer programs, according to a study released Monday by China's State Intellectual Property Office. The study later noted that officials in Beijing had recently measures to protect intellectual property rights.

The news arrives almost two weeks after U.S. officials for the sixth time placed China on its "priority watch list" for intellectual property theft. Upon announcing that less-than-stellar designation, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk promised federal diplomats would engage China on copyright infringement later this year.

"Intellectual property theft in overseas markets is an export killer for American businesses and a job killer for American workers here at home," he said in a statement.

A group opposed to Google's plan to put book excerpts online is warning the action could lead to an international tribunal.

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Solicitor General Elena Kagan in 2009 all but endorsed the idea of televising the Supreme Court's oral arguments, putting her at odds with some of the bench's sitting justices.

While Justice Steven Breyer and others have long shot down that possibility, Kagan said at the Ninth Circuit Judiciary Conference last July that cameras in the courtroom would give the public access to proceedings that are "amazing and extraordinary."

"I have a feeling that they're going to make this decision themselves, and they're the best to make this decision themselves," Kagan said during the question-and-answer session, 10 months before President Barack Obama would nominate her to fill the vacancy left by Justice Anthony Stevens' retirement.

"This court, I think, is so smart, and so prepared, and so engaged, and everybody who gets up there at the podium -- they face the toughest questions, the most challenging questions are thrown at them," she continued. "And there is a debate of really extraordinary intellectual depth and richness."

"I think if you put the cameras in the courtroom, people would see... an institution of their government working at a really high level."

If confirmed, Kagan might not be the only sitting justice to signal support for cameras in the courtroom. Reportedly, Justice Sonia Sotomayor has similar thoughts on the matter, though she she offered something of a non-answer on the matter to the Senate Judiciary Committee last year.

Opposition to televising the Supreme Court's proceedings, however, is far more vocal. Justice David Souter once famously said cameramen would have to "roll over my dead body" to get equipment into the chamber. Justice Breyer only earlier this year told congressional lawmakers just as tersely, "It wouldn't be in our court."

View Kagan's full remarks after the jump. Segment begins at about 18:01.

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What we're following the morning of Monday, May 10...

Obama: Technology becomes 'diversion,' rather than 'tool of empowerment' (Hillicon Valley) -- "President Barack Obama cited the influx of new technology as "putting new pressures on our country and on our democracy" in a commencement address to graduates at Virginia's Hampton University on Sunday. ... "You’re coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don’t rank all that high on the truth meter," Obama said. "With iPods and iPads; Xboxes and PlayStations; information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment."
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