3/19. Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT), wrote a letter and interrogatories [22 pages in PDF] to Tom Ridge, the Secretary of Homeland Security, regarding cyber security.

Sen. Lieberman, who is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, wrote that "far too little progress has been made in securing the information systems on which the nation’s critical infrastructures depend".

"Terrorists, international criminal groups, and intelligence services, as well as hackers and disgruntled insiders, are quickly developing the ability to use, and are using, cyber tools to steal data or cause damage to government and business systems", wrote Lieberman.

He noted that "The Administration issued a National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace in February 2003," but added that it "has accomplished little since then". See, National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, and story titled "Bush Administration Releases Final Cyber Security Plan" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 605, February 17, 2003.

Sen. Lieberman (at right) also asserted that "under pressure from business interests, the Administration substantially weakened the Strategy while readying it for the President's signature, stripping any hint that the federal government might require or even exert pressure on non-federal entities to make the parts of cyber infrastructure for which they are responsible more secure."

He continued that "Having issued this vague and weak plan, the Administration did little in the area of cybersecurity for over half a year. Richard Clarke, President Bush’s special advisor for cybersecurity, resigned two weeks before the Strategy was issued, and his successor, Howard Schmidt, resigned two months later after unsuccessfully attempting to persuade the Department to create a high-ranking cybersecurity position. It was not until mid-September that a cybersecurity chief was brought into the Administration, when Amit Yoran was appointed to head the Department’s new National Cyber Security Division. While he brings valuable computer-security experience to the job, the Administration's lassitude and lack of leadership have left him the unenviable job of playing a difficult game of catch-up."

Then after six pages of criticizing the Bush administration's cyber security efforts, Sen. Lieberman concludes with the statement, "I am therefore requesting that you provide a full account of the Administration's efforts to protect our nation's critical computer-dependent infrastructure and to evaluate its vulnerabilities. In doing so, please include answers to the following specific questions:"

He then proceeds to propound 16 pages of interrogatories, single spaced, with subquestions.

For example, he asks "Please provide a timetable, including final deadlines, for taking steps to secure the mechanisms of the Internet, including each of the relevant tasks as set forth in the Cyberspace Strategy. Please include a description of processes by which DHS will identify, and will establish timetables for addressing, emerging threats to, and vulnerabilities of, the Internet."

See also, Lieberman release.

3/19. The AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies released a paper [20 pages in PDF] titled "Do Science Parks Generate Regional Economic Growth? An Empirical Analysis of Their Effects on Job Growth and Venture Capital". This paper, which was written by Scott Wallsten, finds that "there is little empirical evidence on the effectiveness of public policies intended to start these clusters from scratch."

Wallsten wrote that "First, I match counties with research parks to ``similar´´ counties without parks and compare them over time ... Second, I test econometrically the effect of establishing science parks. I find no evidence that research parks had any measurable economic impact, suggesting that public subsidies to these ventures were not wise investments."

Using multivariate statistical analysis and county level data, Wallsten found that establishing a research park tends to have no net impact on job growth, the number of firms, or the amount of venture capital attracted to the county. In of some of his regression models, the estimated coefficient for the dichotomous independent variable for whether or not there is research park is actually negative, although not statistically significant at conventional levels.

3/17. The House Government Reform Committee held a hearing on HR 3880, the "Internet Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act".

Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA), the Chairman of the Committee, and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), the ranking Democrat, introduced the bill on March 3, 2004. It would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish requirements for the sale of prescription drugs over the internet.

However, the bill was referred to the House Commerce Committee, and its Subcommittee on Health. Rep. Waxman is also a member of both of these.

Rep. Davis (at right) wrote in a prepared statement [PDF] that "I think all of us here today have opened our inboxes to find dozens of emails advertising medications at low cost, with no prescription required. The risks of this kind of self-medicating can include adverse reactions from inappropriately prescribed medications, dangerous drug interactions, use of counterfeit or tainted products, and addiction to habit forming substances."

He also summarized the bill: "First, the bill establishes disclosure standards for Internet pharmacies. These websites are required to display certain identifying information, including the name of the business, pharmacist, and physician associated with the website. Second, the bill prohibits Internet sites from selling or dispensing prescription drugs solely on the basis of an online questionnaire. Online medical evaluations do not meet reasonable standards of care and create risks for consumers. And third, the bill provides additional authority for states to take action against illegal Internet pharmacies. The bill allows state attorneys general to file an injunction in federal court to shut down a rogue site across the country."

He added that "H.R. 3880 is intended to tackle domestic Internet pharmacies that sell drugs without a valid prescription. The bill is not intended to address international pharmacies that sell drugs at a low cost to consumers who have a valid prescription from their U.S. doctors."

See also, prepared testimony in PDF of witnesses: William Hubbard (Food and Drug Administration), James Thompson (Federation of State Medical Boards of the U.S.), Carmen Catizone (National Association of Boards of Pharmacy), Jerry Kilgore (Virginia Attorney General), Rebecca Patchin (American Medical Association), and John Rector (National Community Pharmacists Association).

3/17. The House Government Reform Committee's Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations held a hearing titled "U.S. Preparation for the World Radio Conferences: Too Little, Too Late?"

Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT), the Chairman of the Subcommittee, wrote in a prepared statement [PDF] that the "WRC 2003 also confirmed some longstanding institutional weaknesses in U.S. spectrum policy management. The United States has no overarching spectrum strategy to guide near and long-term policy on use of this precious, finite resource. Separate responsibility for commercial spectrum allocation decisions at the Federal Communications Commission and federal spectrum policies at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration make conflicts between public and private users almost inevitable, and more difficult to resolve. No head of the U.S. delegation is appointed more than six month before the next WRC convenes, long after other nations have been conducting important discussions at that level."

John Bryant, the Ambassador to 1997 WRC, wrote in his prepared testimony [4 pages in PDF] that "I also strongly believe our critical national interests are placed at risk by a process that begins late in the WRC treaty-writing cycle, lacks year-around management for long-term objectives, and is underfunded."

He offered several recommendations for changes in the process. First, "The responsibility for the WRC and the rank of ambassador should be given to a presidential appointee or career foreign service professional who works year-around in the International Telecommunications Union process."

Second, "If the WRC Ambassador is to continue to be a political appointee, that person should be appointed to full-time duty no less than two years before the next scheduled WRC." Currently, the Ambassador is appointed six months in advance.

And third, "Funding for the WRC process should match its critical importance to our economy and national security. It must include an office and staff for the WRC Ambassador and an adequate travel budget."

Similarly, Gail Schoettler, the Ambassador to the 2000 WRC, wrote in her prepared testimony [2 pages in PDF] that the WRC Ambassador be appointed earlier, and receive more office space and staff. And, Janice Obuchowski, Ambassador to the 2003 WRC, praised her work in her prepared testimony [PDF].

David Gross, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Communications and Information Policy, wrote in his prepared testimony [15 pages PDF] that the Department of State has the "ultimate responsibility for establishing U.S. foreign policy with respect to international telecommunications".

Gross (at right) asserted that "the United States has been remarkably successful at WRCs", and "the U.S. has never lost an important objective through its participation in ITU WRCs".

He also reviewed the process for preparing for the WRCs, the appointment of an Ambassador in charge of the WRC delegation, and the structure of the WRC delegation.

Kathleen Abernathy, a Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), wrote in her prepared testimony [10 pages in PDF] that "The FCC has worked on reforming its prepatory process for the WRC and its participation on the U.S. delegation to the WRC over the past few years in an effort to improve the effectiveness of the United States at each WRC."

Abernathy also stated that "former Assistant Secretary of Commerce Nancy Victory is chairing the WAC preparing for WRC 2007" -- that is, the FCC's Advisory Committee for the 2007 World Radiocommunication Conference.

Victory was previously the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, and Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). She resigned from that position in August of 2003 following a finding by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Commerce (DOC) that she had violated rules governing the ethical standards for federal government employees. See, OIG Memorandum dated June 25, 2003, and story titled "Powell Appoints Nancy Victory to WRC-07 Post, October 17, 2003.

Michael Gallagher, the acting Administrator of the NTIA, wrote in his prepared testimony [PDF] that "The United States has historically been very successful in achieving its objectives at the WRCs as a result of good preparation, the leadership of the heads of the United States delegations, and efforts of the United States delegation." But, he added, "there is always room for improvement."

Jeffrey Shane of the Department of Transportation praised the work of prior WRC delegations in his prepared testimony [8 pages in PDF].

See also, prepared testimony [PDF] of William Readdy of the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA).

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released a report [11 pages in PDF] in October of 2003 titled "Spectrum Management for the 21st Century" in which it argued for several changes in the process of preparing for the WRCs. For example, it recommended that the Ambassador in change of the delegation be appointed at least one year before each WRC, that this position and that of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Communications and Information Policy be merged, and that the preparation of spectrum negotiations be placed under White House purview.

3/18. The House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies held a hearing on the proposed budget for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Acting Director of the USPTO Jon Dudas wrote in his prepared testimony that "due to the record growth that began in the 1990s and continues today, the USPTO is facing a record workload crisis. The rate of growth of patent applications has slowed, but we continue to get record numbers of applications every year. Unless bold new actions are taken, progress on our quality enhancement and electronic government initiatives will be in jeopardy, the backlog of unexamined patent applications will skyrocket, and average patent pendency will dramatically increase."

But, said Dudas, HR 1561, the "United States Patent and Trademark Fee Modernization Act of 2003", "offers us a way out of this dilemma."

On March 3, 2004, the House amended and approved HR 1561. See, story titled "House Passes USPTO Fee Bill", in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 849, March 4, 2004. The companion bill in the Senate is S 1760, also titled the "United States Patent and Trademark Fee Modernization Act of 2003". No action has been taken on the Senate bill.

3/17. The House Transportation Committee's Subcommittee on Aviation held a hearing the Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS II), the next generation airline passenger screening system being developed by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

See, prepared testimony of witnesses in PDF: Admiral David Stone (TSA), Norman Rabkin (General Accounting Office), James May (Air Transport Association), Kevin Mitchell (Business Travel Coalition), Paul Rosenzweig (Heritage Foundation), and David Sobel (Electronic Privacy Information Center). See also, Committee memorandum summarizing purpose of hearing.

On November 5, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on aviation security, including CAPPS II. See, story titled "Senate Commerce Committee Holds Hearing on Aviation Security & CAPPS II" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 773, November 6, 2003.

See also, story titled "GAO Report Finds CAPPS II Fails to Meet Congressional Criteria", in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 836, February 13, 2004; "Europeans Agree to Transfer of Airline Passenger Data to DHS" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 801, December 17, 2003; and "Homeland Security Appropriations Bill Purports to Restrict Use of Funds for CAPPS II" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 751, October 2, 2003.

3/19. Barry Allen was named EVP of operations at Qwest Communications. He will be responsible for network and information technology operations. He was previously Qwest's chief human resources officer. Jill Sanford was named to fill his previous post. See, Qwest release.

The House will meet in pro forma session only at 12:00 NOON. See, Republican Whip Notice.

The Senate will meet at 12:00 NOON for morning business. At 2:00 PM it will resume its consideration of  S 1637, the Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act, a bill that would replace the Foreign Sales Corporation (FSC) and Extraterritorial Income (ETI) tax regimes that the World Trade Organization (WTO) has held to constitute illegal export subsidies.

The Supreme Court will return from the recess that it began on March 8.

9:00 AM - 12:00 NOON. The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) will host a tutorial on recent field studies of digital TV (DTV) translators. Location: FCC, 445 12th Street, SW, Room TWC305 (Commission Meeting Room).

The House will meet at 12:30 PM for morning hour, and at 2:00 PM for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 PM. The House will consider several non technology related items under suspension of the rules. See, Republican Whip Notice.

10:00 AM. The Senate Committee on Aging will hold a hearings to examine the impact of internet fraud on seniors. Location: Room 628, Dirksen Building.

10:30 AM. The Senate Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary will hold a hearing on the transformation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), focusing on information technology, management and training. Location: Room 116, Dirksen Building.

12:15 - 1:45 PM. The New America Foundation (NAF) will host a brown bag lunch titled "The Minds Race: The Roll of Education and Workforce Skills in the Global Economy". The speakers will be Leon Lederman (Nobel Prize winner in physics), Stephanie Powers (CEO of the National Association of Workforce Boards), Kevin Celata (Communication Workers of America), and former Rep. Dave McCurdy (Electronics Industry Alliance). RSVP to Jennifer Buntman at 202-986-4901 or buntman@newamerica.net. See, notice. Location: NAF, 1630 Connecticut Ave, 7th Floor.

1:30 PM. The House International Relations Committee's (HIRC) Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia will hold a briefing titled "Digital Terrorism 2004: How the Internet Fans the Flame of Hate". Location: Room 2255, Rayburn Building.

2:30 PM. The Senate Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications will hold a hearing spyware and S 2145, the "SPY BLOCK Act". Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) will preside. The hearing will be webcast by the Committee. See, notice. Location: Room 253, Russell Building.

2:30 PM. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing regarding counterfeiting and theft of tangible intellectual property. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

2:30 PM. House Government Reform Committee and the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a joint hearing on U.S. Postal Service reform issues. The witnesses will be John Snow (Secretary of the Treasury), David Fineman (U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors), and John Potter (Postmaster General of the U.S. Postal Service). See, notice. Location: Room 2154, Rayburn Building.

The House will meet at 10:00 AM for legislative business. The House will take up several items under suspension of the rules. On Wednesday or Thursday, the House is scheduled to take up HR 1768, the "Multidistrict Litigation Restoration Act of 2004". See, Republican Whip Notice.

9:30 AM. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing on intellectual property piracy issues. Location: Room 419, Dirksen Building.

10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the nomination of Paul Diamond to be Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

2:30 PM. The House Government Reform Committee's Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and the Census will hold a hearing titled "Electronic Government: A Progress Report on the Successes and Challenges of Government-wide Information Technology Solutions". Location: Room 2154, Rayburn Building.

Deadline to submit comments to the Copyright Office (CO) regarding its proposed rules governing the service of complaints, summonses, subpoenas and other legal process on the CO and its employees in their official capacities. See, notice in the Federal Register, February 23, 2004, Vol. 69, No. 35, at Pages 8120 - 8126.

The House will meet at 10:00 AM for legislative business. The House will take up several items under suspension of the rules. On Wednesday or Thursday, the House is scheduled to take up HR 1768, the "Multidistrict Litigation Restoration Act of 2004". See, Republican Whip Notice.

8:00 - 9:30 AM. The Republican Technology Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce will host a panel discussion titled "Global Competitiveness: Countering Economic Isolationism". The speakers will include Sen. Bob Bennett (R-UT), Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), and Robert Goodman (Kentron Technologies). RSVP by March 23 to 202 467-4424 or info@rtc-online.org. See, notice. Location: American Gas Association, 400 North Capital Street.

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will host a meeting title "Emergency Communications and Homeland Security -- Working with the Disability Community". See, notice [PDF]. Location: FCC, 445 12th Street, SW.

9:30 AM. The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing titled "Escalating Cable Rates: Causes and Solutions". The witnesses will be Mark Goldstein (General Accounting Office), James Robbins (P/CEO of Cox Communications), George Bodenheimer (President of ESPN and ABC Sports), Gene Kimmelman (Director of the Consumers Union), and Rodger Johnson (P/CEO of Knology). The hearing will be webcast by the Committee. See, notice. Location: Room 253, Russell Building.

10:00 AM. The House Commerce Committee will hold a hearing titled "The State of U.S. Industry". Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans will testify. The hearing will be webcast. Press contact: Larry Neal or Jon Tripp at 202 225-5735. Location: Room 2123, Rayburn Building.

12:00 NOON. The Progress and Freedom Foundation (PFF) will host a debate between Stanford Law School Professor Lawrence Lessig and PFF Fellow James DeLong. Lessig will also release his latest book, titled Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity [Amazon order page]. The PFF notice states that "Those interested in attending should register by contacting Brooke Emmerick at 202-289-8928 or bemmerick@pff.org. Members of the media should contact David Fish at 202 289-8928 or dfish@pff.org. Location: First Amendment Lounge, National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor.

12:00 NOON. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Common Carrier Practice Committee will host a brown bag luncheon titled "Distribution of Universal Service Support to High Cost Areas: Reflections on the Joint Board 'Portability' Proceeding". The speakers will be Matthew Brill (Senior Legal Advisor to Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy), Karen Brinkmann (Latham & Watkins), Joel Lubin (AT&T), David Sieradzki (Hogan & Hartson). RSVP to Cecelia Burnett at 202-637-8312 or cmburnett@hhlaw.com. Location: Hogan & Hartson, 555 13th St., NW, Lower Level.

2:00 PM. The House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies will hold a hearing on the proposed budget for the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). USTR Robert Zoellick is scheduled to testify. Location: Room H-309, Capitol Building.

2:00 PM. The House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities will hold a hearing on the President's FY 2005 budget request for Department of Defense science and technology policy programs. The witnesses will be Ronald Sega (Director, Defense Research and Engineering), Anthony Tether (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), Thomas Killion (Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology), Rear Admiral Jay Cohen (Chief of Naval Research), and James Engle (Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Science, Technology and Engineering). Location: Room 2212, Rayburn Building.

4:00 PM. Joseph Scott Miller (Lewis and Clark Law School) will present a paper titled "Roles and Rules for Dictionaries in the Patent Office and the Courts". For more information, contact Robert Brauneis at 202 994-6138 or rbraun@law.gwu.edu. Location: George Washington University Law School, Faculty Conference Center, Burns Building, 5th Floor, 716 20th Street, NW.

9:00 AM - 4:00 PM. The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Consumer Advisory Committee will hold a meeting. See, agenda [PDF]. Location: FCC, Room TW-C305, 445 12th Street, SW.

9:30 AM. The Consumer Federation of America (DFA) will host an event titled "Network Neutrality for the Broadband Internet". The speakers will include Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Michael Copps, Lawrence Lessig (Stanford University), and Vinton Cerf (MCI WorldCom). To attend, contact Mark Cooper (CA) at mcooper@consumerfed.org or 301 384-2204. Location: an undisclosed room on Capitol Hill.

12:15 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Young Lawyers Committee will host a brown bag lunch regarding emerging technologies. The speakers will be Jeff Campbell (Cisco), Mark Murphy (Ericsson), Bill Lane (FCC Office of Strategic Planning), Kenneth Carter (FCC Office of Strategic Planning). For more information, contact Ken Carter at Kenneth.Carter@fcc.gov or Pam Slipakoff at Pam.Slipakoff@fcc.gov. Location: Willkie Farr & Gallagher, 1875 K Street, NW.

3/17. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL), and others, introduced HRes 568, a resolution expressing the sense of the House that federal courts should not rely on the interpretations or laws of foreign countries when interpreting U.S. laws.

This resolution provides, "That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that judicial determinations regarding the meaning of the laws of the United States should not be based in whole or in part on judgments, laws, or pronouncements of foreign institutions unless such foreign judgments, laws, or pronouncements are incorporated into the legislative history of laws passed by the elected legislative branches of the United States or otherwise inform an understanding of the original meaning of the laws of the United States."

Rep. Goodlatte stated in a release that "Recently there has been a deeply disturbing trend in American jurisprudence. The Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, has begun to look abroad, to international law instead of our own Constitution as the basis for its decisions. In fact six of the Court's nine justices have either written or joined opinions that cite foreign authorities. This is an affront to both our national sovereignty and the broader democratic underpinnings of our system of government."

Rep. Feeney stated in a release that "The American people have not consented to being ruled by foreign powers or tribunals, and their elected representatives have an obligation to ensure that America’s courts do not impose this rule upon them".

This resolution, has 60 original sponsors, all of whom are Republicans. It was referred to the House Judiciary Committee. Both Rep. Goodlatte and Rep. Feeney are members. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), the Chairman of the Committee, and Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property, are also sponsors.

See, Rep. Feeney's release, and Rep. Smith's release.

3/19. The U.S. Court of Appeals (5thCir) issued its opinion [16 pages in PDF] in US Cellular v. City of Wichita Falls, a case regarding the location of a cell tower. The City denied US Cellular's application to build a cell tower. US Cellular filed a complaint in U.S. District Court against the City alleging that it did not satisfy the substantial evidence requirement of 47 U.S.C.A. § 332(c)(7)(B)(iii). The District Court granted summary judgment to the City. The Court of Appeals affirmed. This case is United States Cellular Corporation v. City of Wichita Falls, Texas and Wichita Falls City Council, No. 03-10491, an appeal from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

3/19. The U.S. Court of Appeals (6thCir) issued its opinion in Murray Hill Publications v. Twentieth Century Fox, a copyright infringement case involving movie screenplays. The legal issue on appeal was the analysis of substantial similarity of copyrighted works. The Appeals Court reversed the District Court's judgment for Murray Hill. This case is Murray Hill Publications, Inc. v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, Nos. 01-2668 and 01-2721, appeals from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, D.C. No. 97-60405, Judge Marianne Battani presiding.

3/19. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced that it has received ten applications for new sponsored top level domains (sTLD's). See, list of applicants.

3/19. The World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) issued a release on IP protection in traditional knowledge and folklore.

3/18. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein gave a speech at the FCC's event titled "Solutions Summit: 911/E911 Issues Associated with Internet-based Communications Services". He stated that "When dealing with new technologies like VoIP, we cannot let public safety concerns slip."

3/16. The European Union (EU) announced that its will hold an event titled "EU Conference on Broadband", on April 22, 2004, at Dundalk Institute of Technology in Ireland. The EU stated in a release that the conference will address "safer use of the Internet and combating Spam", "future trends and strategies for Broadband throughout the EU", and "content and demand stimulation".