7/16. Member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), including the U.S., adopted a document [13 pages in PDF] titled "OECD Recommendation on Consumer Dispute Resolution and Redress".

The recommendations in this document cover electronic and mobile commerce disputes between businesses and consumers, as well as offline disputes, but not business to business disputes. The document recommends that nations provide cost effective and simple procedures that would enable consumers to obtain redress for "economic harm". It further recommends the use of technology based and online dispute resolution processes.

The document also recommends that nations make available "collective resolution" of disputes. This would include actions by government agencies, by consumer groups, and class actions.

This document sets forth in broad terms some principles regarding resolution of cross border e-commerce disputes. However, it leaves many issues untouched, such as where cross border disputes would be resolved, what nation's laws would apply to cross border transactions, and what compulsory production of testimony and records would be available.

This document follows the OECD's document [9 pages in PDF] titled "1999 Guidelines for Consumer Protection in the Context of Electronic Commerce", and the OECD's document [33 pages in PDF] titled "2003 Guidelines for Protecting Consumers from Fraudulent and Deceptive Practices Across Borders".

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stated in a release that this latest document is "aimed at protecting consumers in the evolving global marketplace".

The FTC release summarizes the contents of the document. It states that it includes "principles for domestic and cross-border disputes, and addresses both real world and online commerce. It also contains specific principles for member countries to make cross-border dispute resolution and redress more effective, including participating in international and regional consumer complaint, advice, and referral networks; expanding the awareness of justice system participants, including the judiciary, law enforcement officials, and other government officials, as to the needs of foreign consumers who have been harmed by domestic wrongdoers; encouraging greater use of technology to facilitate resolution of cross-border disputes; taking steps to minimize legal barriers to consumer dispute resolution and redress mechanisms outside the consumer’s country; and developing multi- and bi-lateral arrangements to improve international judicial co-operation in the recovery of foreign assets and the enforcement of judgments in appropriate cross-border cases."

The OECD document contains a recitation of purposes. It states, for example, that "the availability of effective dispute resolution and redress mechanisms can increase consumer confidence and trust in the online and offline marketplace, encourage fair business practices, and promote cross-border commerce, including electronic and mobile commerce."

The OECD document further states that due to "rapid growth in electronic commerce" it seeks to "provide consumers with confidence that their claims arising from both online and offline transactions with business will be settled in a fair and effective manner".

It states that "Consumers should have access to dispute resolution mechanisms to resolve their individual disputes with businesses, and where appropriate, obtain redress." Although, the document provides that this means redress of "economic harm". It does not provide for punitive damages, or recovery for non-economic losses. It adds that "These mechanisms should not impose a cost on consumers that is disproportionate to the value of the claim at stake."

It states that consumers should be able to obtain redress on their own, acting individually, without counsel, and in an expedited manner.

It suggests that nations make available "Alternative dispute resolution services, including online dispute resolution, by which consumers and businesses engage in an out-of-court process to reach an agreement".

It also suggest that nation make available "Simplified court procedures for small claims, which offer consumers the opportunity to obtain a judicial determination of their dispute through less formal and expedited procedures than those used in traditional court proceedings."

The document also addresses collective actions, including "Actions initiated by an individual consumer in his or her own name and acting as a representative party for other consumers who have suffered economic harm as a result of the similar conduct of the same entity or related entities", "Actions initiated by consumer organisations acting as representative parties for consumers", and "Actions initiated by consumer protection enforcement authorities acting as representative parties for consumers"

This OECD document also recommends that "Member countries should work towards ... Encouraging the greater use of technology, where practicable, to facilitate the dissemination of information, and the filing and management of consumer disputes, in particular cross-border disputes."

7/12. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced in a release that it has requested that the World Trade Organization (WTO) establish a dispute settlement panel regarding "subsidies provided by China that appear to be prohibited by WTO rules".

The OUSTR release elaborates that this request "challenges several subsidy programs maintained by China that the United States believes are prohibited by WTO rules. Subsidies conditioned either on a firm's use of domestic over imported products or on exports are prohibited by the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures. They also are inconsistent with other WTO obligations, including specific commitments undertaken by China as part of its WTO accession agreement to eliminate such subsidies before it joined the WTO on December 11, 2001."

The OUSTR's Sean Spicer stated in this release that there have been two rounds of WTO consultations on this issue, and that "China has taken a positive step by repealing one of the subsidy programs we challenged, but much more needs to be done. We continue to prefer a negotiated settlement to this dispute, but without assurance of complete corrective action by China, we must continue to pursue the WTO process to enforce our rights."

The OUSTR added that Mexico will file its own related request with the WTO.

7/16. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (OUSTR) published a notice in the Federal Register that requests comments on the negotiations for compensatory adjustments to U.S. Schedule of Services Commitments under WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) in response to notice of the United States of intent to modify its schedule under Article XXI of the GATS. See, Federal Register, July 16, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 135, at Pages 38846-38847.

This pertains to U.S. regulation of internet gambling. The nation of Antigua and Barbuda, which is home to internet gambling operations, filed a complaint in 2003 against the U.S with World Trade Organization (WTO) asserting that U.S. laws banning some gambling services violate the treaty obligations of the U.S.

The WTO has found fault with U.S. laws. The report of the compliance panel was adopted by the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) on May 22, 2007.

See also, stories titled "WTO Panel Instructs Congress to Amend Wire Act to Legalize Internet Gambling" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert 1,016, November 11, 2004; "WTO Appellate Body Upholds U.S. Laws Affecting Internet Gambling" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,111, April 8, 2005; and "Allgeier Addresses Trade Agreements and Internet Gambling" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,118, April 19, 2006.

The U.S.'s latest action, announced on May 4, 2007, was to invoke Article XXI of the General Agreement on Trade in Services [35 pages in PDF], to exclude gambling from the scope of the U.S. commitments under the GATS. See, story titled "OUSTR Invokes GATS Article XXI in WTO Internet Gambling Dispute" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,577, May 8, 2007.

The Federal Register notice states that "In light of these developments in the WTO dispute, the United States has decided to make use of the established WTO procedures to correct its schedule in order to reflect the original U.S. intent -- that is, to exclude gambling from the scope of the U.S. commitments under the GATS. The GATS, Article XXI, provides that when a Member modifies its services schedule, other Members who allege they will be affected by this action may make a claim for a compensatory adjustment to other areas of the GATS schedule. Under the Article XXI procedures, WTO Members had until June 22, 2007 to make such claims."

It continues that "Prior to the applicable deadline, the following eight WTO Members notified the United States that they consider that their benefits under the GATS may be affected by the proposed modification and thus that the United States should enter into negotiations with a view to reaching agreement on any necessary compensatory adjustment: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, the European Communities, India, Japan and Macao."

It concludes that "Consistent with these requests, the United States will begin consultations with these WTO Members. Under the Article XXI Procedures, the United States and those Members making claims have an initial period of three months to consult on any necessary compensatory adjustment. If these discussions are not successful in reaching a satisfactory conclusion for any claimant, that claimant may refer the issue to arbitration."

The notice states that comments "must be received on or before noon, 30 days after publication." Publication occurred on July 16, 2007. 30 days after publication is August 15, 2007.

On Wednesday, July 25, 2007, at 11:00 AM, the Cato Institute will host a panel discussion and lunch titled "America's High-Stakes Response to the WTO Internet Gambling Dispute". The speakers will be Mark Mendel (counsel for Antigua and Barbuda), John Jackson (Georgetown University Law Center), and Sallie James (Cato). See, Cato notice.

See also, story titled "Rep. Frank Introduces Bill to Facilitate Licensed Internet Gambling" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,574, May 3, 2007.

7/17. The Department of Commerce's (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), which regulates exports, published a notice in the Federal Register that announces that it seeks comments regarding the Commerce Control List (CCL) of items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The CCL affects the export of dual use items including software and technology. The deadline to submit comments is September 17, 2007. See, Federal Register, July 17, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 136, at Pages 39052-39053.

7/17. The Department of Commerce's (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published a notice in the Federal Register that announces, describes, recites, and sets the effective date (July 17, 2007) for a change in its rules regarding the export and reexport of certain radiation hardened microelectronic circuits. See, Federal Register, July 17, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 136, at Pages 39009-39010.

7/17. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published a notice in the Federal Register that announces, describes, recites, and sets the effective date (August 20, 2007) for its rules changes regarding extending the current interactive data voluntary reporting program to enable mutual funds voluntarily to submit supplemental tagged information contained in the risk/return summary section of their prospectuses". See, Federal Register, July 17, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 136, at Pages 39289-39300. See also, SEC release with hyperlinks to video of SEC Chairman Chris Cox's statement on this subject at the SEC's June 20, 2007, meeting.

7/17. The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) published a notice in the Federal Register that announces, describes, recites, and sets the comment deadline (September 17, 2007) for its proposed rule changes regarding the fiber optic cable specification used by borrowers, their consulting engineers, and cable manufacturers. The RUS notice states that these changes "bring the specification to meet current industries standards. Additional requirements have been included in the specification to meet the construction requirement of fiber-to-the-home construction." See, Federal Register, July 17, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 136, at Pages 39028-39039.

7/16. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it will host a day long event titled "Digital Television Consumer Education Workshop" on Wednesday, September 26, 2007. See, FCC release.

7/12. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released the text [PDF] of its Second Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding its Emergency Alert System (EAS) rules. The FCC adopted, but did not release, this item at a May 31, 2007, event. See, story titled "FCC Expands EAS Program" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,589, May 31, 2007.  This item is FCC 07-109 in EB Docket No. 04-296. Initial comments on the NPRM portion of this item will be due 30 days after publication of a notice in the Federal Register. Reply comments will be due 45 days after such publication. The FCC has not yet published this notice.

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

The House will meet at 9:00 AM for morning hour, and at 10:00 AM for legislative business. See, Rep. Hoyer's weekly calendar [PDF].

The Senate will meet at 10:00 AM for morning business. It will then resume consideration of HR 1585 [LOC | WW], the defense authorization bill for FY 2008.

8:30 AM - 12:30 PM. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will host an event titled "Going Beyond the Border: The Impact of Domestic Regulation on Global Markets". The speakers will include Deborah Majoras, Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), who will speak at 10:30 AM on "Global Antitrust Enforcement". See, notice and agenda [PDF]. Location: Chamber, 1615 H St., NW.

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM. The House Science Committee's Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation will hold a hearing titled "The Bayh-Dole Act (P.L. 96-517, Amendments to the Patent and Trademark Act of 1980) -- The Next 25 Years". The witnesses will be Arundeep Pradhan (Oregon Health & Science University), Susan Butts (Dow Chemical), Wayne Johnson (Hewlett-Packard), Mark Lemley (Stanford law school), and Mark Allen (Georgia Institute of Technology). See, notice. Location: Room 2318, Rayburn Building.

11:30 AM. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Kathleen Casey, and FBI Deputy Director John Pistole will speak at an event touting the President's Corporate Fraud Task Force. Press contact: 202-514-2007. Location: Great Hall, DOJ Main, 950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.

12:30 - 2:00 PM. The New America Foundation (NAF) will host a panel discussion titled "America's $480 Billion Spectrum Giveaway: How it Happened, and How to Prevent it from Recurring". The speakers will be J.H. Snider (NAF), Michael Calabrese (NAF), Bob Edgar (Common Cause), Gary Bass (OMB Watch), and Drew Clark (Center for Public Integrity). See, notice. Location: NAF, 7th floor, 1630 Connecticut Ave., NW.

2:30 PM. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing on numerous treaties, including Treaty Doc. 109-12, the "Patent Law Treaty and Regulations Under the Patent Law Treaty", Treaty Doc. 109-21, the "The Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs", and Treaty Doc. 110-2, the "The Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks". The witnesses will include Lois Boland, Director of the Office of International Relations at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). See, notice. Location: Room 419, Dirksen Building.

5:30 PM. Intel will hold its Q2 2007 Intel Corporation Earnings Conference Call at 5:30 PM ET. See, release.

TIME? The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) will host an event titled "Transatlantic Dialogue on the Digital Economy". For more information, contact Tim Lordan or Danielle Yates at 202-638-4370. Location: __?

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

LOCATION CHANGE. 8:30 AM - 12:00 NOON. The Homeland Defense Journal will host a conference titled "Strategies for Data Breach Prevention, Mitigation and Notification: A In-depth Look at OMB M-07-16". At 9:45 - 11:00 AM there will be a panel comprised of Hugo Tuefel (Chief Privacy Officer of the Department of Homeland Security), Mark Groman (Chief Privacy Officer of the Federal Trade Commission), and Mischel Kwon (Chief IT Security Technologist, Department of Justice). At 11:00 AM, Karen Evans (OMB) will speak. Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) is also scheduled to speak. See, notice. Previous Location: Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. New Location: Capitol Hilton.

RESCHEDULED FOR JULY 24. 10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold an oversight hearing on the Department of Justice (DOJ). Location: Room 216, Hart Building.

10:00 AM. The House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing titled "Monetary Policy and the State of the Economy". The witness will be Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. See, notice. Location: Room 2128, Rayburn Building.

10:00 AM. The House Ways and Means Committee will meet to mark up HR  __, the "Social Security Number Privacy and Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2007". See, notice. Location: Room 1100, Longworth Building.

10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) may hold an executive business meeting. The agenda again includes consideration of S 1145 [LOC | WW], the "Patent Reform Act of 2007". It also includes consideration of the nominations of William Osteen (to be a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina), Martin Karl Reidinger (USDC, WD North Carolina), Timothy DeGiusti (USDC, WD Oklahoma), Janis Lynn Sammartino (USDC, SD California), and Roslynn Mauskopf (USDC, EDNY). The SJC rarely follows its published agenda. See, notice. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

10:00 AM. The Senate Commerce Committee (SCC) will hold a hearing titled "Safety of Chinese Imports: Oversight and Analysis of the Federal Response". The witnesses will be Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Nicole Nason (Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), Nancy Nord (acting Chairman,
Consumer Product Safety Commission), Murray Lumpkin (Food and Drug Administration), William Hogarth (National Marine Fisheries Service), Donald Mays (Consumers Union), Caroline DeWaal (Center for Science in the Public Interest), Scott Gottlieb (American Enterprise Institute), and Jay Timmons (National Association of Manufacturers). See, notice. Location: Room 253, Russell Building.

10:00 AM. The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing on several pending nominations, including David McCormick to be Under Secretary for International Affairs, at the Department of the Treasury. See, notice. Location: Room 215, Dirksen Building.

10:00 AM. The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Commercial Mobile Service Alert Advisory Committee will meet. See, FCC release [PDF]. Location: FCC, Commission Meeting Room, Room TW-C305, 445 12th St., SW.

10:15 PM. The House Judiciary Committee will meet to mark up HR  1908 [LOC | WW] , the "Patent Reform Act of 2007". See, notice. Press contact: Melanie Roussell (Conyers) or Gene Smith (Berman) at gene dot smith at mail dot house dot gov. Location: Room 2141, Rayburn Building.

11:45 AM - 2:00 PM. The AEI Brookings Joint Center will host a panel discussion titled "The Economics of Internet Advertising: Implications for the Google DoubleClick Merger". The speakers will be Thomas Eisenmann (Harvard), David Evans (LECG), Lorin Hitt (University of Pennsylvania), and Robert Hahn (AEI Brookings). See, notice. Lunch will be served. Location: AEI, 12th floor, 1150 17th St., NW.

12:15 - 1:30 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Young Lawyers Committee will host a brown bag lunch titled "Introducing the Industries: The Role of Trade Association Policymakers and Counsel". The speakers will be Marsha MacBride (NAB), Jonathan Banks (USTelecom), Carolyn Brandon (CTIA), Dan Brenner (NCTA), and David Cavossa (SIA). For more information, contact Chris Fedeli at chrisfedeli at dwt dot com or Tarah Grant at tsgrant at hhlaw dot com. Location: Davis Wright Tremaine, Suite 200, 1919 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.

12:30 PM. John Snow (Chairman of Cerberus Capital Management, and the previous Secretary of the Treasury), will give a speech on private equity. Location: Ballroom, National Press Club, 13th floor, 529 14th St., NW.

TIME? Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Paul Atkins will address the Tech Council of Maryland. For more information, contact Mark Glazer at 240-453-6212 or mglazer at techcouncilmd dot com. Location: __, Rockville, MD.

Day one of a two day conference titled "Identity and Access Management in Government Conference". Location: Four Points by Sheraton, 1201 K St., NW.

Deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding FCC regulation of exclusive contracts for the provision of video services to multiple dwelling units (MDUs) and other real estate developments. The FCC adopted this NPRM on March 22, 2007, and released the text [19 pages in PDF] on March 27. See, stories titled "FCC Adopts MDU Forced Access NPRM" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,556, March 26, 2007, and "FCC Releases MDU NPRM" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,557, March 27, 2007. See also, notice in the Federal Register, April 18, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 74, at Pages 19448-19453. This NPRM is FCC 07-33 in Docket 07-51.

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

9:30 AM. The Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing titled "The Second Monetary Policy Report to the Congress for 2007". The witness will be Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. See, notice. Location: Room 538, Dirksen Building.

10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) may hold an executive business meeting. The agenda again includes consideration of S 1145 [LOC | WW], the "Patent Reform Act of 2007". It also includes consideration of the nominations of William Osteen (to be a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina), Martin Karl Reidinger (USDC, WD North Carolina), Timothy DeGiusti (USDC, WD Oklahoma), Janis Lynn Sammartino (USDC, SD California), and Roslynn Mauskopf (USDC, EDNY). The SJC rarely follows its published agenda. See, notice. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

2:00 PM. The House Judiciary Committee's (HJC) Antitrust Task Force will hold a hearing titled "Credit Card Interchange Fees". See, notice. Location: Room 2141, Rayburn Building.

2:30 PM. The Senate Commerce Committee (SCC) will meet to mark up numerous bills, including S 1492 [LOC | WW], the "Broadband Data Improvement Act", S 1769 [LOC | WW], the "Same Number Act of 2007", and S 1780 [LOC | WW], the "Protecting Children from Indecent Programming Act". Location: Room 253, Russell Building.

2:45 PM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold a hearing on several judicial nominees, including Jennifer Elrod (to be a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit), Richard Jones (U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington), and Sharion Aycock (U.S.D.C., Northern District of Mississippi). See, notice. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

Day one of a two day conference titled "Identity and Access Management in Government Conference". At 3:30 PM Hugo Tuefel (Chief Privacy Officer of the Department of Homeland Security) will participate on a panel titled "Ensuring Privacy and Management of Data". Location: Four Points by Sheraton, 1201 K St., NW.

4:30 PM. Google will hold its quarterly conference call to discuss second quarter 2007 financial results at 1:30 PM Pacific Time and 4:30 PM Eastern Time. See, release.

6:00 - 9:15 PM. The DC Bar Association will host a continuing legal education (CLE) seminar titled "Antitrust Investigations: Tactical and Ethical Issues". The speakers will be Ray Hartwell (Hunton & Williams), Kathryn Fenton (Jones Day), Donald Klawiter (Morgan Lewis & Bockius), James Fredricks (DOJ Antitrust Division). See, notice. For more information, call 202-626-3488. The price to attend ranges from $80-$115. Location: DC Bar Conference Center, B-1 Level, 1250 H St., NW.

Rep. Hoyer's weekly calendar [PDF] states that "no votes are expected in the House".

9:30 AM - 12:00 NOON. The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will host an event titled "Safe Computing Town Hall Open House". For more information, contact Tim Lordan or Danielle Yates at 202-638-4370. Location?

12:15 - 1:30 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Legislative Committee will host a brown bag lunch titled "House, Senate and FCC Ethics Rules". For more information, contact Paula Timmons at paula dot timmons at mycingular dot blackberry dot net. Location: National Association of Broadcasters, 1771 N St., NW.

Effective date of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) rules changes that implement The Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005 (Public Law No. 109-235), which increases the maximum forfeiture penalties for obscene, indecent, and profane broadcasts from $32,500 to $325,000. This item is FCC 07-94. The FCC adopted its on May 17, 2007, and released it on June 1, 2007. See also, notice in the Federal Register, June 20, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 118, at Pages 33913-33914.

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Day one of a four day hearing of the Copyright Office (CO) regarding the operation of, and continued necessity for, the cable and satellite statutory licenses under the Copyright Act. See, notice in the Federal Register, May 23, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 99, at Pages 28998-29000. Location: Copyright Office Hearing Room, 4th Floor, Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave., SE.

12:00 NOON - 1:45 PM. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) will host a panel discussion titled "Internet Protocol and Broadband Technology -- Working for Public Safety". The speakers will be Rob Atkinson (ITIF), Jon Peha (Carnegie Mellon University), Steve Correll (National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System), James Craige (Alexandria, Virginia Police Department), Mark Grady (Indiana 911 Project), Dean Hairston (Danville, Virginia Police Department), and Robert LeGrande (District of Columbia). Lunch will be served. See, registration page. Location: Room 1205, Rayburn Building.

12:30 PM. Mel Karmazian (CEO of Sirius Satellite Radio) will give a speech. Location: Ballroom, National Press Club, 13th floor, 529 14th St., NW.

8:30 - 10:30 AM. The Copyright Alliance (CA) will host an event titled "Creators and Innovators: Advancing Consumer Interests in the Digital Age". The speakers will include Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR), Chairman of the Senate Republican High Tech Task Force. Patrick Ross (CA) will moderate. For more information, contact Gayle Osterberg at 202-669-0689 or gayle at 133publicaffairs dot com. Breakfast will be served at 8:00 AM. Location: Room HC-6, Capitol Building.

9:30 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold an oversight hearing on the Department of Justice (DOJ). Location: Room 216, Hart Building.

10:00 AM. The Senate Commerce Committee (SCC) will hold a hearing titled "Protecting Children on the Internet". See, notice. Location: Room 253, Russell Building.

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Day two of a four day hearing of the Copyright Office (CO) regarding the operation of, and continued necessity for, the cable and satellite statutory licenses under the Copyright Act. See, notice in the Federal Register, May 23, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 99, at Pages 28998-29000. Location: Copyright Office Hearing Room, 4th Floor, Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave., SE.

12:00 NOON - 1:30 PM. The Alliance for Public Technology (APT) will host a brown bag lunch titled "Broadband Changed My Life: Benefits for Seniors and People with Disabilities". The speakers will be Joy Howell (APT) and Jenifer Simpson (American Association of People with Disabilities). RSVP to 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 DC Bar Association will host a panel discussion titled "The ABCs or IP: A Primer on Patent, Copyright, and Trademark Law". The speakers will be Janet Fries (Drinker Biddle & Reath, on copyright), Steven Warner (Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto, on patent), Gary Krugman (Sughrue Mion, on trademark), and Maureen Browne (Heller Ehrman, moderator). See, notice. For more information, call 202-626-3463. The price to attend ranges from $10-$15. Location: DC Bar Conference Center, B-1 Level, 1250 H St., NW.

Deadline to submit responses or oppositions to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding its review of the proposed merger of XM Satellite Radio Holdings and Sirius Satellite Radio. See, Public Notice [5 pages in PDF] (DA 07-2417).