The “Force” that will bring you the 150th
Annual National Grange Convention

• Update: Rural America Left Behind in Lifeline Reform
  National Grange President, Betsy Huber, has expressed serious concern with H.R.4884, the CURB Lifeline Abuse Act with.  In a letter to House Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Walden (R-OR-2), Ranking Member Eshoo (D-CA-18) and bill sponsor Scott (R-GA-8), Huber acknowledged Congress’ concerns with fiscal responsibility of the Lifeline program, but opposed the proposed two-year phase-out of mobile voice Lifeline service in favor of broadband service.  Read more
• Why is Rural America Being Left Behind in Lifeline Reform?
  Major portions of rural America have no access to broadband.  Fewer than one in five Americans (17 percent) can’t access what the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines as broadband, but that level is three times higher – a whopping 53% — when it comes to rural America.  And what about those parts of rural America with broadband access?  According to the 2015 State of the Internet Report, the average connection speed in many rural areas is slower than those in Estonia, Uruguay, and Thailand.  Read more
• The National Grange Cert Decision Announcement
  Today, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision to review the ruling in the long-running design patent infringement case between Apple and smartphone rival Samsung. This important case is about correcting an outdated interpretation of how damages are awarded for design patents in infringement lawsuits.  The lower court’s ruling elevates design patents and ornamental features of a product over utility patents and a product’s functionality. Additionally, the court-awarded damages for infringement could be equal to the total profits earned from the alleged infringing product. These massive damages from infringement could result in total profits – an incentive for troll-like litigation over design patents. For these reasons and their implications on the rural and agriculture industry, the National Grange is thankful the Supreme Court is reviewing this decision.  Read more
• Samsung Files Petition for Supreme Court Review
  Samsung officially filed a request with the Supreme Court to examine the decision in its long running litigation with Apple. At the crux of the petition is design patents and their legal interpretation in infringement lawsuits, and the damages awarded from alleged infringement.  Read more
• What’s Next: Apple-Samsung Lawsuit Continues
  The National Grange has monitored the Apple-Samsung patent litigation for well over a year, and as the battle between these two super companies continues, the National Grange will continue to update its members and fight for their best interests. For background, in August we wrote about a disappointing decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and what the implications of that ruling could mean for industries and consumers; and this summer, National Grange filed an Amicus brief with the Court, expressing our concerns on the impacts of this landmark case.  Read more

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