3/19. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCUS) issued an order in Joblove v. Barr Labs stating that "The Solicitor General is invited to file a brief in this case expressing the views of the United States." This case involves antitrust treatment of patent settlements involving reverse payments. See, Order List [16 pages in PDF] at page 2, and SCUS docket.

In previous litigation, Zeneca, Inc.and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, holders of the patent for the drug tamoxifen citrate, entered into an agreement with generic manufacturer Barr Laboratories, settling patent infringement litigation. The settlement agreement included a reverse payment of $21 Million from the patent holders (Zeneca and AstraZeneca) to the generic manufacturer (Barr Labs) and to Barr Labs allowing Barr Labs to sell an unbranded version of Zeneca manufactured tamoxifen.

In the present litigation, consumers of the drug, third party payor organizations that provide medical benefits for their members which are used to purchase the drug, and consumer advocacy groups filed a complaint in U.S. District Court (EDNY) against Barr Labs, Zeneca and AstraZeneca alleging that the terms of the settlement violate federal and state antitrust laws. The District Court dismissed the complaint.

The U.S. Court of Appeals (2ndCir) issued its divided opinion [PDF] on August 10, 2006, affirming the judgment of the District Court.

See also, petition for writ of certiorari [PDF] and petitioners' reply brief [PDF].

The SCUS did not invite the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to file a brief in this case. The SCUS relies upon the DOJ, not independent commissions with expertise and experience, to represent the views of the US. The FTC and DOJ would not likely offer the same analysis.

The DOJ filed an amicus curiae brief in 2006 with the SCUS opposing grant of certiorari in a similar case, FTC v. Schering-Plough Corporation. The SCUS then denied certiorari in that case.

Meanwhile, the FTC filed an amicus curiae brief [15 pages in PDF] with the Court of Appeals in 2005 in Joblove v. Barr Labs supporting the position of the plaintiffs.

See also, September 29, 2006, speech [12 pages in PDF] by FTC Commissioner Jon Liebowitz titled "How Settlements Make Strange Bedfellows: Or How the Federal Trade Commission has Managed to Unite the Entire Pharmaceutical Industry (but only in Opposition to the FTC’s Position on Exclusion Payment Settlements)".

This case is Joblove, et al. v. Barr Labs, Inc., et al., Sup. Ct. No. 06-830, a petition for writ of certiorari to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, App. Ct. No. 03-7641. The Court of Appeals heard an appeal from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Judge Leo Glasser presiding. Judge Sack wrote the opinion of the Court of Appeals, in which Judge Raggi joined. Judge Pooler wrote a dissenting opinion. This case is also known as In Re: Tamoxifen Citrate Antitrust Litigation.

3/19. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCUS) denied certiorari in Verity v. FTC, a case involving application of the Federal Trade Commission Act's (FTCA) prohibition of unfair and deceptive trade practices to telephone billing charges for telephone pornography not authorized by phone customers. See, Order List [16 pages in PDF] at page 3 and SCUS docket.

The petitioners had argued in their petition for writ of certiorari that their operation fell within the FTCA's common carrier exemption, that the filed rate doctrine barred the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) claim, and that this matter should have been referred to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under the doctrine of primary jurisdiction.

See also, the Solicitor General's brief in opposition to the petition for writ of certiorari.

This lets stand the March 29, 2006, opinion [50 pages in PDF] of the U.S. Court of Appeals (2ndCir).

The defendants operated a porn web site that fraudulently billed users for telephone calls to Madagascar that did not take place. The FTC filed a complaint in U.S. District Court (SDNY) alleging violation of 15 U.S.C. § 45(a). The FTC prevailed in the District Court. The Court of Appeals vacated the monetary judgment, and a contempt order, but otherwise affirmed the District Court's judgment.

This case is Verity International, Ltd., et al. v. FTC, Sup. Ct. No. 06-669, a petition for writ of certiorari to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, App. Ct. No. 04-5487-cv. The Court of Appeals heard an appeal from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Judge Lewis Kaplan presiding. Judge John Walker wrote the opinion of the Court of Appeals, in which Judges Feinberg and Straub joined.

3/19. Jessica Rosenworcel (at right) will become Senior Legal Counsel to the Senate Commerce Committee. She was previously Senior Legal Advisor to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Michael Copps for media issues. See, FCC release.

Bruce Gottlieb (at left), Copps' advisor on spectrum and international issues, will be the primary point of contact for media issues. He joined Copps' office in March of 2006. See, story titled "Copps Announces Staff Changes" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,332, March 20, 2006.

Scott Deutchman (at right) remains Copps' advisor on competition and universal service issues.

John Branscome will work on spectrum and international issues for Copps, on detail from the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB), where he is Chief of the Spectrum and Competition Policy Division.

3/20. President Bush named Brent McIntosh to be Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Staff Secretary. He was previously Associate Counsel to the President. Before that, he was a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Office of Legal Policy (OLP). See, White House release.

3/20. President Bush named Julie Cram to be Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Public Liaison. She previously worked for TerreStar Networks Inc. See, White House release.

3/20. President Bush named Dan Meyer to be Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs. He previously worked at The Duberstein Group. See, White House release.

3/20. President Bush named David Boyer to be Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs. He was previously Assistant Commissioner for Legislation in the Office of the Commissioner at the Food and Drug Administration. See, White House release.

3/20. President Bush named Daniel Kaniewski to be Special Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Senior Director for Response Policy. He was previously Director, Response and Recovery Policy on the Homeland Security Council staff at the White House. See, White House release.

3/20. President Bush named Matt Latimer to be Special Assistant to the President for Speechwriting. He was previously Chief Speechwriter for the Secretary of Defense. See, White House release.

3/20. President Bush named Stacie Maass to be Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy. She was previously Executive Director of the Medicaid Commission at the Department of Health and Human Services. See, White House release.

3/19. President Bush nominated Stephen Murphy to be a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. See, White House release. He is the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan.

3/19. President Bush nominated Raymond Kethledge to be a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. See, White House release. He is an attorney with the law firm of Bush Seyferth Kethledge & Paige. He previously clerked for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. He also worked for former Sen. Spencer Abraham (R-MI) when he was a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC).

3/19. President Bush nominated Richard Jones to be a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. See, White House release. He is a Superior Court Judge in King County, Washington.

3/19. President Bush nominated Sharion Aycock to be a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. See, White House release.

3/19. President Bush nominated David Dugas to be a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana. See, White House release.

3/19. President Bush nominated James Randal Hall to be a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. See, White House release.

3/19. President Bush nominated Richard Honaker to be a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming. See, White House release.

3/19. President Bush nominated Robert James Jonker to be a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, See, White House release.

3/19. President Bush nominated Paul Lewis Maloney to be a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, See, White House release.

3/19. President Bush nominated Janet Neff to be a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, See, White House release.

3/19. President Bush nominated Janis Lynn Sammartino to be a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. See, White House release.

3/19. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCUS) issued an order in Credit Suisse v. Billing, Sup. Ct. No. 05-1157. The SCUS wrote that "Having been advised by Justice Kennedy that he now realizes that he should have recused himself from participation in this case, and does now recuse himself, the Court vacates its order of Thursday, December 7, 2006. The Court has reconsidered the petition for certiorari, and the petition is granted. The Chief Justice and Justice Kennedy have not participated in the vote to withdraw the order of December 7, 2006, or in the instant reconsideration of the petition for certiorari." See, Order List [16 pages in PDF] at page 2 and SCUS docket. See also, story titled "Supreme Court Grants Certiorari in Antitrust Cases" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,501, December 8, 2006.

3/19. A Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court (DC) issued a Report and Recommendation [5 pages in PDF] in Intervet, Inc. v. Merial Limited, an action in which Intervet seeks a declaratory judgment of non-infringement of a vaccine patent. The U.S. District Court (NDGa) previously dismissed a patent infringement action brought by Merial, on the grounds that two universities retained such substantial rights in the patent at issue that Merial did not have standing to sue solely in its own name. In the present action, Intervet also named the two universities as defendants. However, the universities argued that Intervet failed to satisfy the standard set by the Federal Circuit in Super Sack v. Chase Packaging, 57 F.3d 1054 (1995). That is, the party seeking the declaratory judgment of non-infringement must allege an explicit threat or other action by the patentee, which creates a reasonable apprehension on the part of the declaratory plaintiff that it will face an infringement suit, and present activity which could constitute infringement or concrete steps taken with the intent to conduct such activity. The Magistrate Judge concludes that "since Intervet does not quarrel with the proposition that the Universities have not threatened them with infringement, there is no case or controversy between Intervet and the Universities." The Magistrate Judge recommends dismissal for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. This case is  Intervet, Inc. v. Merial Limited, Merial SAS, The Queen's University of Belfast, and University of Saskatchewan, U.S. District Court for the District of Coloumbia, D.C. No. 06-658 (JMF), Magistrate Judge John Facciola presiding.

3/15. The Department of Commerce's (DOC) Technology Administration (TA) announced that May 31, 2007, is the deadline to submit nominations for the National Medal of Technology (NMT). See, DOC release. The last awards were given in February of 2006 for the year 2004. See, stories titled "Bush Awards National Medals of Technology and Science" and "Commentary: National Medal of Technology Program" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,312, February 17, 2006.

3/15. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that its seeks applications and nominations for membership on its Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC). The deadline to submit applications and nominations in April 30, 2007. See, notice in the Federal Register, March 15, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 50, at Page 12264.

Tech Law Journal publishes a free access web site and subscription e-mail alert. The basic rate for a subscription to the TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert is $250 per year. However, there are discounts for subscribers with multiple recipients. Free one month trial subscriptions are available. Also, free subscriptions are available for journalists, federal elected officials, and employees of the Congress, courts, and executive branch. The TLJ web site is free access. However, copies of the TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert are not published in the web site until one month after writing. See, subscription information page.

Contact: 202-364-8882.
P.O. Box 4851, Washington DC, 20008.

Privacy Policy
Notices & Disclaimers
Copyright 1998 - 2007 David Carney, dba Tech Law Journal. All rights reserved.

The House will meet at 10:30 AM for morning hour, and at 12:00 NOON for legislative business. The House will consider HR 1227, the "Gulf Coast Hurricane Housing Recovery Act of 2007". See, Rep. Hoyer's weekly calendar [PDF].

The Senate will meet at 10:00 AM. It will resume consideration of S 214, the "Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act of 2007".

8:30 AM. Rep. The Information Technology Innovation Foundation (ITIF) will release a report titled "Addressing the STEM Challenge by Expanding Specialty Math and Science High Schools". The speakers will include Rep. David Price (D-NC) and Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC). Location: Room 2168, Rayburn Building.

9:30 AM. The House Judiciary Committee (HJC) will hold a hearing titled "Hearing on: The Inspector General's Independent Report on the F.B.I.'s Use of National Security Letters". See, notice. Location: Room 2141, Rayburn Building.

10:30 AM - 12:30 PM. The House Science Committee's (HSC) Research and Science Education Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled "National Science Foundation Reauthorization, Part 1". The witnesses will be Arden Bement (Director of the National Science Foundation) and Steven Beering (Chairman of the NSF's National Science Board). Press contact: Alisha Prather at 202-225-6375 or alisha dot prather at mail dot house dot gov. Location: Room 2318, Rayburn Building.

12:15 - 1:30 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Common Carrier Practice Committee will host an event titled "Practice before other agencies: Why it matters and what you should know". The speakers Meredith Baker (Deputy NTIA Administrator), Hillary Burchuk (DOJ's Antitrust Division), and Joshua Soven (Attorney Advisor to FTC Chairman Deborah Majoras). For more information, contact Colleen Nunez at cnunez at gci dot com or 202-457-8815. Location: Sidley Austin, 1501 K St., NW, 6th Floor.

1:30 PM. The House Appropriations Committee's Legislative Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled "Library of Congress: Future of Digital Libraries". Location: Room H-144, Capitol Building.

2:00 PM. The House Ways and Means Committee's Subcommittee on Trade will hold a hearing titled "U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement Negotiations". See, notice. Location: Room 1101, Longworth Building.

2:00 PM. The House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science will hold a hearing on the FY 2008 budget request for the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and the International Trade Administration (ITA). Location: Room H-310, Capitol Building.

2:15 PM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold a hearing titled "The XM-Sirius Merger: Monopoly or Competition from New Technologies". The witnesses will be Mel Karmazin (Sirius), Mary Quass (NRG Media), David Balto, and Gigi Sohn (Public Knowledge). See, notice. Press contract: Tracy Schmaler (Leahy) at 202-224-2154 or Courtney Boone (Specter) at Courtney_Boone at judiciary-rep dot senate dot gov or 202-224-2984. Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) will preside. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

2:30 PM. Thomas Donohue, head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, will hold a news briefing to outline the Chamber's views on trade, innovation, and intellectual property rights. Location: U.S. Chamber, 1615 H St., NW.

Deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to Locus Telecommunications, Inc.'s petition for a declaratory ruling that calls to a prepaid calling card provider’s toll-free customer service numbers are not subject to payphone compensation or, in the alternative, to initiate a rulemaking. See, Public Notice [3 pages in PDF] (DA 07-513). This is proceeding is RM 11354.

The House will meet at 10:00 AM for legislative business. See, Rep. Hoyer's weekly calendar [PDF].

9:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Day one of a two day public meeting of the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB). See, notice in the Federal Register, July 12, 2006, Vol. 71, No. 133, at Pages 39318. Location: Room 7C13, GAO Building, 441 G St., NW.

9:00 AM - 5:15 PM. Day one of a two day conference hosted by Georgetown University's Communication, Culture and Technology Program titled "2007 Standards Edge Conference: Stimulating vs. Stifling: Standardization’s Role in Innovation". See, agenda. Press contact: Andy Pino at 202-687-4328 or pinoa at georgetown dot edu. Location: McShain lounge, McCarthy Hall, Georgetown University main campus.

10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold a hearing on the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Inspector General's (IG) findings of the improper use of National Security Letters by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The witness will be Glen Fine (DOJ/IG). See, notice. Press contract: Tracy Schmaler (Leahy) at 202-224-2154 or Courtney Boone (Specter) at Courtney_Boone at judiciary-rep dot senate dot gov or 202-224-2984. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

10:00 AM. The House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education will hold a hearing titled "Public Broadcasting". Location: Room 2362B, Rayburn Building.

10:00 AM. The House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Homeland Security will hold a hearing titled "Enhancing Privacy and Civil Rights While Meeting Homeland Security Needs". The witnesses will include the DHS's Hugo Teufel. Location: Room 2362A, Rayburn Building.

12:15 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Young Lawyers Committee will host a brown bag lunch titled "The Business of Telecommunications". For more information, contact Devin Crock at drcock at dc dot bhb dot com, Natalie Roisman at nroisman at akingump dot com, Chris Fedeli at chrisfedeli at dwt dot com, or Devin Crock at dcrock at dc dot bhb dot com. The FCBA web site states in red, "RSVP required". Location: Akin Gump, 10th Floor, 1333 New Hampshire Ave., NW.

2:00 PM. The House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science will hold a hearing titled "Department of Justice Overview". Location: Room H-310, Capitol Building.

2:30 PM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold a hearing titled "Identity Theft: Innovative Solutions for an Evolving Problem". The witnesses will be Ronald Tenpas (Department of Justice), Lydia Parnes (FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection), James Davis (UCLA), Joanne McNabb (California Office of Privacy Protection), and Chris Hoofnagle (UC Berkeley). See, notice. Press contract: Tracy Schmaler (Leahy) at 202-224-2154 or Courtney Boone (Specter) at Courtney_Boone at judiciary-rep dot senate dot gov or 202-224-2984. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) will preside. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

Deadline to register to attend the Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) April 10 reception and dinner. The speaker will be FCC Chairman Kevin Martin. See, registration form [PDF].

Deadline to submit applications to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to participate in its 2007 Attorney Honors Program. This program is for new and recent law school graduates and judicial clerks. See, FCC release [PDF].

The House will meet at 10:00 AM for legislative business. See, Rep. Hoyer's weekly calendar [PDF].

9:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Day two of a two day public meeting of the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB). See, notice in the Federal Register, July 12, 2006, Vol. 71, No. 133, at Pages 39318. Location: Room 7C13, GAO Building, 441 G St., NW.

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM. Day two of a two day conference hosted by Georgetown University's Communication, Culture and Technology Program titled "2007 Standards Edge Conference: Stimulating vs. Stifling: Standardization’s Role in Innovation". See, agenda. Press contact: Andy Pino at 202-687-4328 or pinoa at georgetown dot edu. Location: McShain lounge, McCarthy Hall, Georgetown University main campus.

9:00 AM. The House Commerce Committee (HCC) may hold an oversight hearing on the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Location: Room 2322, Rayburn Building.

9:30 AM. The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) will hold an event titled "Open Commission Meeting". See, notice [PDF]. Location: FCC, Commission Meeting Room, 445 12th St. SW.

CANCELLED. 9:30 - 10:30 AM. Vint Cerf will give a presentation at an Federal Communications Commission (FCC) event titled "Policy and Technical Issues Affecting Internet Evolution". Location: FCC, Commission Meeting Room, 445 12th St. SW.

10:00 AM. The House Judiciary Committee's (HJC) Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property will hold a hearing titled "Reforming Section 115 of the Copyright Act for the Digital Age". See, notice [PDF]. Location: Room 2141, Rayburn Building.

10:00 AM. The House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science will hold a hearing titled "Attorney General". Location: Room 2216, Rayburn Building.

10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) may hold a business meeting. The agenda includes consideration of S 236, the "Federal Agency Data Mining Reporting Act of 2007". This bill has been on many prior agendas. The SJC rarely follows its published agendas. Press contract: Tracy Schmaler (Leahy) at 202-224-2154 or Courtney Boone (Specter) at Courtney_Boone at judiciary-rep dot senate dot gov or 202-224-2984. See, notice. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

10:00 AM. The Heritage Foundation will host a panel discussion titled "Not Patently Obvious: An Innovator's Perspective on Patent Reform". The speakers will be Irwin Jacobs (Chairman of Qualcomm) and Philip Trulock (Heritage). See, notice. Location: Heritage, 214 Massachusetts Ave., NE.

12:00 NOON - 2:00 PM. The DC Bar Association will host a panel discussion titled "Update and Practice Tips from the new Clerk of the U.S. Court of International Trade". The speaker will be Tina Kimble. See, notice. The price to attend ranges from $5-$25. For more information, call 202-626-4363. Location: DC Bar Conference Center, B-1 Level, 1250 H Street, NW.

12:15 - 2:00 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Communications Law, Copyright, and Digital Rights Management Committee will host a brown bag lunch titled "Meet the Register of Copyrights". The speaker will be Marybeth Peters. For more information, contact Ben Golant at bgol at loc dot gov or 202-707-9127. Location: National Association of Broadcasters, 1771 N Street, NW.

2:00 - 4:00 PM. The Department of State's (DOS) International Telecommunication Advisory Committee (ITAC) will meet to prepare advice for the meeting of the Telecommunication Development Advisory Group (TDAG). See, notice in the Federal Register: February 12, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 28, at Pages 6640-6641. Location: DOS, Room 2533A.

2:00 - 6:00 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) and the ABA will host a continuing legal education (CLE) titled "Privacy & Data Security for Communications and Media Companies". The deadline for registrations and cancellations is 5:00 PM on March 20. The price to attend ranges from $100 to $300. See, registration form [PDF]. Location: Covington & Burling, Pennsylvania Ave., NW.

The House will meet at 9:00 AM. See, Rep. Hoyer's weekly calendar [PDF].

12:00 NOON - 1:30 PM. The Alliance for Public Technology (APT) will host a brown bag lunch titled "Achieving Universal Broadband: Policies for Stimulating Deployment and Demand". Robert Atkinson (Information Technology and Innovation Foundation), Jim Kohlenberger (Benton Foundation), and Kenneth Peres (Communications Workers of America). For more information, contact apt at apt dot org or 202-263-2970. Location: Benton Foundation, 11th Floor, 1625 K St., NW.

12:00 NOON - 2:00 PM. The Progress and Freedom Foundation (PFF) will host a panel discussion titled "Age Verification for Social Networking Sites: Is It Possible? And Desirable?" The speakers will be Adam Thierer (PFF), John Cardillo (Sentinel), Tim Lordan (Internet Education Foundation), and Jeff Schmidt (Authis). See, notice and registration page. Lunch will be served. Location: Room 2322, Rayburn Building, Capitol Hill.

2:00 PM. The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) will host a webcast continuing legal education (CLE) seminar titled "Tax Strategies for Development and Acquisition of Intellectual Property: Planning Opportunities and Traps for the Unwary". The speaker will be Joseph Fletcher (Holland & Knight). For more information, contact Mark Uncapher at muncapher at itaa dot org. Audio download copies will be sold after the event.

Day one of a two day meeting of the Federal Bar Association (FBA) titled "FBA 2007 Midyear Meeting". See, event brochure [PDF]. Location: Crystal Gateway Marriott, 1700 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA.

Deadline to submit comments to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding its workshop titled "Proof Positive: New Directions in ID Authentication" on April 23-24, 2007. See, FTC release and notice in the Federal Register, February 26, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 37, at Pages 8381-8383

Deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding Verizon's February 9, 2007, petition requesting a waiver of Section 61.42(g) of the FCC's rules in order to continue to exclude the services in FCC Tariff No. 20 from price cap indexes in annual access tariff filings. This pertains to services transferred from Verizon Advanced Data, Inc. (VADI) to Verizon. See, FCC Public Notice [3 pages in PDF] (DA 07-799). This proceeding is WC Docket No. 07-31.

Deadline to submit initial comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding the license transfer application filed by News Corporation, Directv Group, Inc., and Liberty Media Corporation. News Corps seeks to divest its interest in Directv, and Liberty Media seeks to divest its interest in News Corp. See, FCC Public Notice [PDF]. This is DA 07-637 in MB Docket No. 07-18.

Day two of a two day meeting of the Federal Bar Association (FBA) titled "FBA 2007 Midyear Meeting". See, event brochure [PDF]. Location: Crystal Gateway Marriott, 1700 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA.

10:00 AM. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCUS) will hear oral argument in Leegin Creative Leather Products v. PSKS, an antitrust case. See, SCUS calendar [PDF] and docket. This case is Sup. Ct. No. 06-480.

Day one of a two day conference hosted by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) titled "CEA Washington Forum". See, notice and agenda. Press contact: Megan Pollock at 703-907-7668 or mpollock at CE dot .org. Location: Ronald Reagan Building.

9:30 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold a hearing titled "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation". The witness will be FBI Director Robert Mueller. Press contract: Tracy Schmaler (Leahy) at 202-224-2154 or Courtney Boone (Specter) at Courtney_Boone at judiciary-rep dot senate dot gov or 202-224-2984. See, notice. Location: Room 106, Dirksen Building.

10:00 AM. The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing titled "Exclusive Sports Programming: Examining Competition and Consumer Choice". See, notice. Location: Room 253, Russell Building.

10:00 AM. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCUS) will hear oral argument in Credit Suisse Securities v. Billing, an antitrust case. See, SCUS calendar [PDF] and docket. This case is Sup. Ct. No. 05-1157.

12:00 NOON - 1:00 PM. The Heritage Foundation will host a panel discussion titled "An Uncensored Satellite Television Message to Homes in the Middle East". The speakers will include Terence Ascott and Rita El Mounayer (SAT-7 International), Habib Badr (Senior Pastor of the National Evangelical Church of Beirut), and Becky Dunlop (Heritage). See, notice. Location: Heritage, 214 Massachusetts Ave., NE.

12:00 NOON. The Cato Institute will host a panel discussion titled "The Dangers of Disclosure: The Unintended Consequences of Campaign Regulations for Free Speech and Privacy". The speakers will be Steve Simpson (Institute for Justice), Dick Carpenter (Institute for Justice), Stephen Weissman (Campaign Finance Institute), and John Samples (Cato). See, notice. This event will be web cast. Lunch will be served after the event. Location: Cato, 1000 Massachusetts Ave., NW.

Day two of a two day conference hosted by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) titled "CEA Washington Forum". See, notice. Location: Ronald Reagan Building.

7:30 - 9:30 PM. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) will host an event titled "Digital Patriots Dinner". See, notice. Location: Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

Day one of a three day conference hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and others titled "International Conference on Frontiers of Characterization and Metrology for Nanoelectronics". See, notice. The deadline to register is March 8, 2007. Location: NIST, Red Auditorium, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD.