5/15. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) amended and approved S 2913 [LOC | WW], the "Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act Of 2008".

The SJC approved an amendment in the nature of a substitute [18 pages in PDF], and then the bill as amended, without objection. There was no debate of this bill. Although, members of the SJC inserted statements and letters into the record.

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) discussed the possibility of offering as an amendment to S 2913 the "Internet Radio Equality Act of 2008". This contains the language of S 1353 [LOC | WW], the "Internet Radio Equality Act of 2007", introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) on May 10, 2007. This is a reaction to the March 2, 2007, determination by the Copyright Royalty Judges regarding webcasting royalties, which webcasters argue are excessive.

Similarly, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) discussed the possibility of offering as an amendment S 256 [LOC | WW], the "Platform Equality and Remedies for Rights Holders in Music Act of 2006", which is also known as the PERFORM Act. This bill was first introduced as S 2644 (109th Congress). See, story titled "Summary of the Sen. Feinstein's Perform Act" and related stories in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,384, June 5, 2006.

However, after extracting vague concessions from Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the Chairman of the SJC, regarding holding a hearing and a markup that would cover the Internet Radio Equality Act and PERFORM Act, Sen. Brownback and Sen. Feinstein declined to offer their amendments.

The title "Orphan Works" is not descriptive of the content of the bill. This bill would reduce the remedies available to the copyright owner for infringement of copyrighted works when the infringer proves that before infringing, it "performed and documented a qualifying search, in good faith, to locate and identify the owner of the infringed copyright" and "was unable to locate and identify an owner".

This bill is similar to HR 5889 [LOC | WW], the "Orphan Works Act of 2008", which the House Judiciary Committee's (HJC) Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property (SCIIP) amended and approved on May 7, 2008. The full HJC has yet to approve that bill.

See, story titled "House IP Subcommittee Approves Orphan Works Bill" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,762, May 7, 2008. See also, TLJ mark up of HR 5889 showing changes made by the managers' amendment, and changes that would be made by each of the amendments of Rep. Lofgren and Rep. Schiff, if adopted at the full Committee markup.

5/14. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted, but did not release, a notice of proposed rulemaking, that proposes to change the SEC's rules to mandate over time that certain filings with the SEC be in interactive data format. The SEC's interactive data program is currently voluntary. See, SEC release.

Interactive data format means inserting into the source code of electronic filings eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) tags that enable software to read and extract information from those filings. See, SEC's web section on XBRL.

Few companies are now participating in the voluntary program. However, these volunteers include Comcast, Infosys, Microsoft, Xerox, and XM Satellite Radio.

SEC Chairman Chris Cox stated that "The proposal we will consider today, if it is approved, will set us on a journey to significantly transform the SEC's business model. Making interactive data the backbone of the SEC's system of company registration will be true to this agency's early 20th-century roots in disclosure and transparency, while decisively changing to an unmistakably 21st-century approach." See, prepared statement.

He continued that "we are considering requiring the disclosure of the same information that has long been required -- but in a new format that will make this information better, faster, and cheaper -- for companies to disclose and for investors to use".

He concluded that "Like ASCII and HTML before it, XBRL can be viewed as nothing more complicated than a computer language. But if we embrace its potential, it can truly revolutionize the benefits that investors derive from corporate disclosures. It will enable analysts at the SEC and in private industry to vastly improve their comparative capabilities. It will replace the current time-consuming methods involved in retrieving corporate shareholder information and put that information at the fingertips of every investor within seconds, exactly as they wish to see it. Nothing could be more in keeping with the SEC's mandate to provide investors with important information they need, while encouraging better tools for analysis that can be used to make better investment decisions."

Jeff Lopez, Chief of the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance's Legal Branch, summarized some of the details of the proposed rules changes. He said that "The proposed rules would apply to domestic and foreign companies using U.S. GAAP and, eventually, to foreign private issuers using International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board." See, statement.

He continued that "Interactive data would be required with a company's annual and quarterly reports, transition reports, and Securities Act registration statements, and on its corporate web site, if it maintains one. The disclosure in interactive data format would supplement, but not replace or change, disclosure using the traditional electronic filing formats in ASCII or HTML."

The SEC would phase in the new requirements over three years. In the first year, the new rules would only apply to about 500 companies that are "domestic and foreign large accelerated filers that use U.S. GAAP and have a worldwide public float above $5 billion".

In the second year, said Lopez, "all other domestic and foreign large accelerated filers using U.S. GAAP would be subject to interactive data reporting". And, in the third year, "all remaining filers using U.S. GAAP, including smaller reporting companies, and all foreign private issuers that prepare their financial statements in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB would be subject" to the new reporting requirements.

Comments will be due within 60 of publication of a notice in the Federal Register. As of the May 15, 2008, issue of the Federal Register, this publication had not yet occurred.

5/15. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a civil complaint [39 pages in PDF] in U.S. District Court (CDCal) against four current or former officers of Broadcom, Henry Samueli, Henry Nicholas, William Ruehle, and David Dull, alleging violation of federal securities laws in connection with their alleged involvement in the back dating of stock options.

Broadcom makes semiconductors for communications and entertainment devices. Samueli is a former professor of electrical engineering and a founder of Broadcom. As a result of this complaint, he resigned as Chairman and Chief Technology Officer, and took a leave of absence as an executive officer. Although, he will remain as a non-officer employee.

The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science at UCLA is named for him, as is the Henry Samueli School of Engineering at UC Irving.

Nicholas, another founder and former CEO of Broadcom, left the company in 2003. Dull, General Counsel of Broadcom, also took a leave of absence as a result of this complaint, but remains as a non-officer employee.

The complaint alleges "improper stock option backdating" that resulted in the "issuance of false financial statements that concealed from shareholders billions of dollars in stock-based compensation expenses".

The complaint states that "From June 1998 through May 2003, Broadcom systematically backdated employee and officer stock options to coincide with the dates of low closing prices for the Company's common stock without properly recording the compensation expenses associated with such options."

It adds that "In January 2007, Broadcom restated its financial results for the years 1998 through 2005 and reported an additional $2.22 billion in net non-cash compensation expenses."

Linda Thomsen, Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement, stated in a release that "the executives at Broadcom perpetrated a massive, five-year scheme that involved fraudulent backdating of dozens of option grants, falsifying corporate records, intentionally false accounting, and lying to shareholders ... This egregious misconduct resulted in the largest accounting restatement to date arising from stock option backdating and warrants the significant sanctions sought from these individuals."

Backdating stock options is not a violation of federal securities laws. Hence, the complaint alleges violation of those sections of the securities laws pertaining to fraud (§17(a) of the Securities Act and §10(b) of the Exchange Act), proxies (§14(a) of the Exchange Act), and books and records (§13(b)(5) of the Exchange Act).

The complaint also alleges internal control violations, record keeping violations, periodic reporting requirements violations, and violation of SEC rules pertaining to statements to accountants and certification of quarterly reports.

Broadcom announced in a release that Samueli and Dull "have each taken leaves of absence as executive officers of Broadcom pending resolution of a civil complaint filed against them today ..."

It added that Samueli "has resigned as a member of the Board of Directors and as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company. The Board has named John E. Major, an independent director of the company since January 2003, to serve as non-executive Chairman of the Board of Directors."

Broadcom also wrote that Samueli and Dull "will continue to serve as non-officer employees of the company".

The just filed complaint does not name Broadcom as a defendant. The SEC previously filed, and settled, a complaint against the company. Under that settlement, Broadcom admitted no wrongdoing, but consented to entry of an injunction against future violation of federal securities laws, and agreed to pay a $12 Million fine. See, story titled "SEC Files Complaint Against Broadcom Over Backdated Stock Options" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,752, April 23, 2008.

5/15. CBS announced in a release that it has entered into an agreement to acquire CNET Networks, Inc.

CBS wrote that "Under the terms of the agreement, CBS will make a cash tender offer for all issued and outstanding shares of CNET Networks for $11.50 per share, representing an equity value of approximately $1.8 billion."

It added that "The Board of Directors of CNET Networks has unanimously approved the merger agreement and unanimously recommends that CNET Networks stockholders accept the tender offer and tender their shares."

CNET Networks owns news and information sites, including CNET news.com, TechRepublic, ZDNet, and BNET. It owns entertainment sites, including GameSpot.com, TV.com, and mp3.com. It also owns UrbanBaby, CHOW, Search.com, and MySimon.

Previously, Jana Partners attempted to gain control of the CNET Networks board of directors. See, March 13, 2008, news.com story titled "Court says Jana can nominate members to CNET's board", by Richard Defendorf.

5/15. The Progress & Freedom Foundation (PFF) released a paper titled "Where is the FCC's Annual Video Competition Report?" The authors are the PFF's Barbara Esbin and Adam Thierer.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted, but did not release, an item titled "13th Annual Assessment of the Status of Competition in the Market for the Delivery of Video Programming" at its event of November 27, 2007, titled "Open Meeting". This report to the Congress is FCC 07-206 in MB Docket No. 06-189.

The FCC issued only a release [5 pages in PDF] that describes this report, and the five Commissioners each wrote statements. See, story titled "FCC Commissioners Withhold Support for Martin's 70/70 Conclusion" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,680, November 30, 2007.

The FCC adopted its 12th Annual Report [161 pages in PDF] on February 10, 2006, and released it on March 3, 2006. See also, story titled "FCC Describes Annual Report on Video Competition" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,308, February 13, 2006. The13th Report was already late in November of 2007.

The FCC frequently adopts items that it does not release. It sometimes adopts items that it has not written. The relevant statute, codified at 47 U.S.C. § 548(g), mandates that these reports be prepared annually. It provides that the FCC "shall, beginning not later than 18 months after promulgation of the regulations required by subsection (c) of this section, annually report to Congress on the status of competition in the market for the delivery of video programming".

However, the FCC often fails to follow, enforce, or implement statutes. It also sometimes implements statutes that do not exist.

Esbin and Thierer wrote that "The 12th Report was published in March 2006 and summarized 2005 data. Yet it remains the most recent report from the FCC regarding data and developments in this fast-moving field."

They speculated that "one cause of delay in releasing the report is its failure to provide the critical empirical support for FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's ``70/70´´ plan for expanding the Commission's powers over the cable industry".

The PFF paper adds that "A six-month post-adoption delay in release of such a report must be a record-setter."

One of the FCC's most delayed, and most awaited, releases was the 2003 triennial review order regarding unbundling by incumbent local exchange carriers. The FCC adopted this order [576 pages in PDF] on February 20, 2003, but did not release it until August 21, 2003. That is, it delayed for six months and one day.

See, story titled "FCC Announces UNE Report and Order" and related stories in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 609, February 21, 2003, and story titled "Summary of FCC Triennial Review Order" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 725, August 25, 2003. Then, as anticipated, the U.S. Court of Appeals (DCCir) issued its opinion [62 pages in PDF] overturning parts of this unbundling order. See, story titled "Appeals Court Overturns Key Provisions of FCC Triennial Review Order" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 848, March 3, 2004.

5/14. Paul Clement (at right), the Solicitor General at the Department of Justice (DOJ), will leave on June 2, 2008. See, DOJ release. He has been the Solicitor General since June of 2005. However, he has worked in the Office of the Solicitor General for seven years. He argued 49 cases before the Supreme Court, including MGM v. Grokster, the landmark copyright case regarding peer to peer technologies. See, story titled "Supreme Court Hears Oral Argument in MGM v. Grokster" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,106, March 30, 2005. See also, story titled "Supreme Court Rules in MGM v. Grokster" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,163, June 28, 2005.

5/15. Donal Byard (City University of New York), Susan Krische (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), and Roger Martin (University of Virginia) were named Academic Accounting Fellows at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). See, SEC release.

The House will meet at 10:00 AM for legislative business. Rep. Hoyer's schedule for week of May 12, and schedule for May 15.

The Senate will resume consideration of the conference report for HR 2419 [LOC | WW], the "Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007".

10:00 AM. The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a business meeting. The agenda includes consideration of of the nomination of Lily Claffee to be General Counsel of the Department of Commerce. See, notice. Location: Room 253, Russell Building.

TIME CHANGE. 10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) may hold an executive business meeting. The agenda includes consideration of S 2913 [LOC | WW], the "Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act Of 2008", and S 1738 [LOC | WW], the "Combating Child Exploitation Act". S 2913 degrades the remedies available to copyright owners in civil actions for infringement of copyright. S 1738 would, among other things, provide for more Department of Justice (DOJ) regional computer forensic laboratories, and provide that "crimes against children" are predicate offenses for the issuance of wiretap orders to state law enforcement agencies. The agenda also includes consideration of the nomination of Steven Agee to be a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals (4thCir). See, notice. The SJC rarely follows its published agendas. All three of these items were held over from the May 8 meeting. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Day one of a two day meeting of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Advisory Committee for Cyberinfrastructure. See, notice in the Federal Register, April 11, 2008, Vol. 73, No. 71, at Page 19904. Location: NSF, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Room 1235, Arlington, VA.

10:30 AM. The House Ways and Means Committee will meet to mark up HR __, a yet to be introduced bill that may be titled the "Energy and Tax Extenders Act of 2008". The research and development tax credit expired on December 31, 2007. Location: Room 1100, Longworth Building.

11:00 AM. The House Judiciary Committee's (HJC) Antitrust Task Force will hold a hearing on HR 5546 [LOC | WW], the "Credit Card Fair Fee Act of 2008". See, notice. Location: Room 2141, Rayburn Building.

12:00 NOON. The Heritage Foundation will host an event titled "U.S. International Broadcasting on the Frontlines of Freedom". The speakers will be James Glassman (Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors) and Helle Dale (Heritage). Location: Heritage, 214 Massachusetts Ave., NE.

12:00 NOON - 1:30 PM. The Net Caucus will host a panel discussion titled "Net Neutrality Enforcement: Who’s the Cop on the Beat and What Type of a Stick Does He Carry?" The speakers will be Rebecca Arbogast (Stifel Nicolaus), Dan Caprio (DC Strategies), Harold Furchtgott-Roth (Furchtgott-Roth Economic Enterprises), and Christine Varney (Hogan & Hartson). A box lunch will be served. RSVP to Allison Rodway at 202-638-4370 or arodway at netcaucus dot org Location: Room HC-5, Capitol Building.

12:00 NOON - 1:30 PM. The Alliance for Public Technology (APT) and The Children's Partnership (TCP) will host a brown bag lunch titled "Information Technology Making a Difference in Children's Lives". The speakers will be Joy Howell, Laurie Lipper, and Ken Kelly. Location: APT, 10th floor, 919 18th St., NW.

2:00 PM. The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations will hold a hearing titled "U.S. China Relations in the Era of Globalization". The witnesses will be John Negroponte (Deputy Secretary of State), Richard Haass (Council on Foreign Relations), Kurt Campbell (Center for a New American Security), and Harry Harding (George Washington University). See, notice. Location: Room 419, Dirksen Building.

2:00 PM. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's (SHSGAC) Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia will hold a hearing titled "National Security Bureaucracy for Arms Control, Counterproliferation, and Nonproliferation Part I: The Role of the Department of State". See, notice. Location: Room 342, Dirksen Building.

Rep. Hoyer's schedule for week of May 12 states that "no votes are expected in the House".

8:00 AM - 12:00 NOON. Day two of a two day meeting of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Advisory Committee for Cyberinfrastructure. See, notice in the Federal Register, April 11, 2008, Vol. 73, No. 71, at Page 19904. Location: NSF, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Room 1235, Arlington, VA.

12:00 NOON - 2:00 PM. The DC Bar Association will host panel presentation titled "Arbitration of Antitrust Claims in the U.S. and Europe". The speakers will be Daniel Margolis, Mark Joelson, Donald Baker (Baker & Miller), and Gordon Blanke (SJ Berwin). The price to attend ranges from $5 to $30. For more information, contact 202-626-3463. See, notice. Location: Arnold & Porter, 10th floor, 555 12th St., NW.

Deadline to submit initial comments to the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGAB) regarding the National Exchange Carriers Association's (NECA) proposed compensation rates for interstate traditional TRS, interstate speech-to-speech (STS), interstate captioned telephone service (CTS) and interstate and intrastate internet protocol captioned telephone service (IP CTS), interstate and intrastate IP relay; and interstate and intrastate video relay service (VRS). See, notice in the Federal Register, May 12, 2008, Vol. 73, No. 92, at Page 26992-26993. This proceeding is CG Docket No. 03-123.

9:00 AM - 12:45 PM. The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau will host an event titled "Promoting an Effective Emergency Alert System on the Road to a Next Generation EAS". The FCC will webcast the event. Location: FCC, Commission Meeting Room, TW-C305, 445 12th St., SW.

Extended deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to it Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the Recommended Decision of the Federal State Joint Board on Universal Service, released on November 20, 2007, regarding comprehensive reform of high cost universal service taxes and subsidies. The FCC adopted this NPRM on January 15, 2008, and released the text on January 29, 2008. It is FCC 08-02 in WC Docket No. 05-337 and CC Docket No. 96-45. See, original notice in the Federal Register, March 4, 2008, Vol. 73, No. 43, at Pages 11587-11591. See also, notice [PDF] of extension (DA 08-674).

Extended deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to it Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the use of reverse auctions to determine the amount of high cost universal service subsidies provided to eligible telecommunications carriers serving rural, insular, and high cost areas. The FCC adopted this NPRM on January 9, 2008, and released the text on January 29, 2008. It is FCC 08-05 in WC Docket No. 05-337 and CC Docket No. 96-45. See, original notice in the Federal Register, March 4, 2008, Vol. 73, No. 43, at Pages 11591-11602. See also, notice [PDF] of extension (DA 08-674).

Extended deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the FCC's rules governing the amount of high cost universal service subsidies provided to competitive eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs). This NPRM also tentatively concludes that the FCC should eliminate the existing identical support rule, which is also known as the equal support rule. The FCC adopted this NPRM on January 9, 2008, and released the text on January 29, 2008. It is FCC 08-04 in WC Docket No. 05-337 and CC Docket No. 96-45. See, original notice in the Federal Register, March 4, 2008, Vol. 73, No. 43, at Pages 11580-11587. See also, notice [PDF] of extension (DA 08-674).

10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee's (SJC) Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law will hold a hearing titled "Global Internet Freedom: Corporate Responsibility and the Rule of Law". The witnesses will Nicole Wong (Deputy General Counsel of Google), Michael Samway (Deputy General Counsel of Yahoo), Mark Chandler (General Counsel of Cisco Systems), Arvind Ganesan (Human Rights Watch), and Shiyu Zhou (Global Internet Freedom Consortium). Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) will preside. See, notice. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

10:00 AM - 4:15 PM. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission will hold a hearing titled "China's Proliferation Practices and the Development of its Cyber and Space Warfare Capabilities". See, notice in the Federal Register, April 28, 2008, Vol. 73, No. 82, at Pages 23005-23006. Location: Room 562, Dirksen Building, Capitol Hill.

12:15 - 1:30 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Wireline and International Practice Committees will host a brown bag lunch titled "Functional Separation proposals under the European Commission review of the European Union’s Framework Directive". The speakers may include Sheba Chacko (BT), Wolfgang Jakubek (Deutsche Telecom), Scott Harris (Harris Wiltshire & Grannis), and Don Stockdale (FCC). For more information, contact Nick Alexander at Nicholas dot Alexander at fcc dot gov. Location: Akin Gump, 1333 New Hampshire Ave, NW.

10:00 AM. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will meet. The agenda states that the SEC "will consider whether to propose amendments to provide for mutual fund risk/return summary information to be filed with the Commission in interactive data format". Location: SEC, Room L-002, 100 F St., NE.

12:30 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Young Lawyers Committee will hold a brown bag lunch to elect officers and plan. E-mail nominations to Chris Fedeli at chrisfedeli at dwt dot com and Tarah Grant at tsgrant at hhlaw dot com by Friday, May 9, 2008. See, notice online registration page. Location: Hogan & Hartson, 1st floor litigation center, 555 13th St., NW.

Day one of a two day closed meeting of the Department of Defense's (DOD) Defense Science Board regarding undisclosed topics. See, notice in the Federal Register, April 23, 2008, Vol. 73, No. 79, at Pages 21919-21920. Location: Pentagon, Arlington, VA.

9:00 - 10:30 AM. The New America Foundation (NAF) will host an event titled "Google Unwired: Expanding Broadband Access and Allocating Spectrum More Efficiently". The speakers will be Larry Page (Google) and Michael Calabrese (NAF). See, notice and registration page. Breakfast will be provided. Location: Ronald Reagan Building, Atrium Ballroom, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM. The House Science Committee's (HSC) Subcommittee on Investigation and Oversight will hold a hearing titled "American Decline or Renewal? -- Globalizing Jobs and Technology". The witnesses will be Ralph Gomory (NYU Stern School of Business), Margaret Blair (Vanderbilt University Law School), Bruce Scott (Harvard Business School), James Copland (Copland Fabrics), Joseph Fehsenfeld (Midwest Printed Circuit Service), and Wes Jurey (Arlington Chamber of Commerce, Arlington, Texas). Location: Room 2318, Rayburn Building.

12:15 - 1:30 PM. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will hold an event titled "FCC Wireless Legal Advisors Discuss Recent and Upcoming Matters". The speakers may include Aaron Goldberger (FCC Chairman Kevin Martin assistant), Bruce Gottlieb (FCC Commissioner Michael Copps assistant), Renée Crittendon (FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein assistant), Wayne Leighton (FCC Commissioner Deborah Tate assistant), and Angela Giancarlo (FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell assistant). Lunch will be served. The price to attend is $15. See, notice and registration page. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) web site states that this is an event of the FCBA's Wireless Practice Committee. Location: Sidley Austin, 6th floor, 1501 K St., NW.

Day two of a two day closed meeting of the Department of Defense's (DOD) Defense Science Board regarding undisclosed topics. See, notice in the Federal Register, April 23, 2008, Vol. 73, No. 79, at Pages 21919-21920. Location: Pentagon, Arlington, VA.

Deadline to submit initial comments to the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau in response to its Public Notice regarding the request for clarification filed by Hawk Relay that internet protocol speech to speech (IPSTS) is a form of Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS). This item is DA 08-292 in CG Docket No. 08-15. See, notice in the Federal Register, April 7, 2008, Vol. 73, No. 67, at Page 18796.

Deadline to submit initial comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to the Media Bureau's public notice (DA 08-752) regarding changes to its annual reporting forms that request certain employee data from multichannel video programming distributors (FCC Form 395-A) and broadcasters (FCC Form 395-B). See, notice in the Federal Register, April 21, 2008, Vol. 73, No. 77, at Pages 21346-21347.

Extended deadline for voting equipment manufacturers to submit requests and executed letters of understanding to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). See, notice in the Federal Register, April 22, 2008, Vol. 73, No. 78, at Pages 21590-21591.

5/15. Comcast entered into an agreement to acquire Plaxo, a privately held company that operates a web site that provides address book services. See, Plaxo release.

5/13. The United States and the European Union issued a joint statement titled "EU-US Open Investment Statement". See also, statement by Robert Kimmitt, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury.

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