Tech Law Journal Daily E-Mail Alert
November 11, 2009, Alert No. 2,013.
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Genachowski Discusses Internet Regulation NPRM

11/10. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski gave a speech titled "ICT: Global Opportunities and Challenges" in Beirut, Lebanon.

He discussed, among other things, the FCC's internet regulation Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) [107 pages in PDF], adopted on October 22, 2009. This NPRM is FCC 09-93 in GN Docket No. 09-191 and WC Docket No. 07-52. See also, story titled "FCC Adopts Internet Regulation NPRM" and related stories in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,008, October 23, 2009.

He said that "This proceeding is not about government regulation of the Internet. It's about ensuring that no one, not the government and not companies that provide Internet access, restricts the free flow of lawful information and services over the Internet."

Genachowski added that "Our goals are to ensure that consumers and the market can pick winners and losers; to promote competition; and to promote continued investment and innovation as our Internet future unfolds. Our proceeding -- which recognizes the need for reasonable network management -- builds on the long history of telecom policies against discrimination, as well as the principles in the FCC’s 2005 Internet Policy Statement."

He also said that the FCC seeks to promote universal availability of broadband access, wireless broadband, competition and transparency.

FCC Seeks Comments on Broadband Adoption

11/10. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a Public Notice [7 pages in PDF] that requests comments regarding how to measure broadband adoption, and how the government can plan consumers' decisions to adopt broadband.

The FCC asks for comments to assist it in drafting a document titled "National Broadband Plan". Comments are due by December 2, 2009. This item is DA 09-2403 in GN Docket Nos. 09-47, 09-51, 09-137.

Measuring Broadband Adoption. The FCC asks, "how should we measure adoption?". That is, should measurement be based upon "household subscription rates", without including work, mobile, or library based broadband access?

The FCC also asks about "costs faced by individual consumers who do not adopt broadband as well as the societal costs of having a large portion of society that remains un-connected to broadband".

Planning Consumers' Choices. The FCC also asks "why some consumers, who have access to broadband, do not adopt". This notice states that the FCC already "believes that the primary barriers non-adopters face include: affordability of service, affordability of hardware, insufficient digital and technical literacy levels, unawareness of the personal relevance and utility of broadband technology and online content and an inability to use existing technology and applications due to physical or mental disabilities".

The FCC asks if it is correct. It also asks if consumer concerns about "privacy/anonymity, ID theft, child protection, viruses and data preservation, etc. pose a significant barrier to adoption".

The FCC then asks for comments about possible regulatory strategies for prodding consumers who could obtain broadband access, but have chosen not to do so.

For example, the FCC asks about various tax and subsidy regimes, such as expanding the FCC's existing universal service "Lifeline and Link Up programs to support broadband connection charges, devices and service costs for low-income consumers".

Also, "Should the Federal government offer a broadband hardware purchase program"?

The FCC also asks if the federal government should create a "national help desk" to help people to figure out how to use their computers and software.

The FCC also asks who would pay for all of these government programs.

RUS and NTIA Seek Comments on Second Round of Broadband Grants

11/9. The Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released a notice [PDF], to be published in the Federal Register, requesting comments regarding implementation of the RUS's Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and the NTIA's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP).

These grant programs were created by HR 1 [LOC | WW], which was enacted in February of 2009. The bill provides a total of $7.2 Billion in subsidies. See, the NTIA's web page on the BIP and BTOP.

This notice states that the "input the agencies expect to receive from this process is intended to inform the second round of funding".

The NTIA also issued a release that states that the two agencies are "streamlining" the BIP and BTOP programs "by awarding the remaining funding in just one more round".

The notice states that "the agencies seek to gather information that will help them improve the broadband programs by enhancing the applicant experience and making targeted revisions to the first Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA), if necessary."

This notice asks for comments about, among other things, the application and review process, funding priorities and objectives, middle mile infrastructure facilities, the definitions of remote area, and continuation of the interconnection and nondiscrimination requirements of the first NOFA.

Comments are due within 14 days of publication in the Federal Register. As of the November 10, 2009 issue of the Federal Register, this notice had not yet been published.

The NTIA's release also states that in the first round of funding, the two agencies "expect to award up to $4 billion" and "expect to begin announcing funding awards in December 2009".

US and Russia Sign MOU on Antitrust

11/10. The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Russian antitrust agency, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) [3 pages in PDF].

This MOU states that "The U.S. antitrust agencies and FAS Russia intend to keep each other informed of significant competition policy and enforcement developments".

This MOU also provides for secrecy and non-transparency. It states that "It is understood that the U.S. antitrust agencies and FAS Russia do not intend to communicate information to the other if such communication is prohibited by the laws governing the agency possessing the information or would be incompatible with that agency's interests."

Moreover, "Insofar as information is communicated, the recipient should, to the extent consistent with its laws, maintain the confidentiality of any such information communicated to it in confidence."

This MOU provides few details. However, it states that the two nations "intend to agree on a workplan of cooperative activities".

Groups Complain About ACTA Closed Process

11/9. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (OUSTR) released a short statement on November 6, 2009, regarding closed negotiations in Seoul, South Korea, related to the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). The OUSTR has not released any drafts of this ACTA.

Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) and Public Knowledge (PK) sent a letter [PDF] to members of Congress on November 9 complaining about the lack of transparency in the process of negotiating this treaty.

They wrote that "We have often expressed our concerns about the need for transparency of this negotiation, and have joined others in asking the Congress and the Administration to open this negotiation to public oversight and input, as is customary in other areas of global norm setting for intellectual property rules. Only through such openness can we ensure the legitimacy of any policy norms resulting from this process."

The KEI and PK want the Obama administration "to provide the public with the actual text of the ACTA proposals

They also wrote that "Given what has been disclosed so far, the U.S. and other ACTA parties are seeking to create a set of obligations for countries that expand upon certain elements of the Word Trade Organization's Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) agreement. Rather than taking as their starting point the entire TRIPS agreement, it would seem that the ACTA negotiators have identified certain parts of the TRIPS agreement most favorable to particular groups of intellectual property holders, including certain publishers, media conglomerates, and pharmaceutical companies. Left out of the ACTA text are the elements most favorable to consumers, including those intended to curb anticompetitive practices, and to protect innovation."

The letter concludes that "The ACTA negotiations, while operating in extraordinary secrecy, are leading to a result that is anti-consumer and anti-innovation. The public should be allowed to raise its concerns in an open and democratic environment where everyone will be able to observe and influence these alterations to our intellectual property policy."

See also, stories titled "Transparency: EFF and PK Complain About OUSTR's Secret ACTA" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,935, May 6, 2009, and "OUSTR Releases Summary of Proposed ACTA" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,925, April 13, 2009.

More News

11/10. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the House Majority Leader, announced the tentative schedule for the House of Representatives for the remainder of the 1st Session of the 111th Congress: "For the rest of 2009, the House is expected to be in session the week of November 16th; the week of November 30th; the week of December 7th; and the week of December 14th. The House could also be in session on Monday, December 21st and Tuesday, December 22nd if needed."

11/9. Ed Black, head of the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), sent a letter [PDF] to Vivek Kundra, the Executive Office of the President's (EOP) Federal Chief Information Officer, regarding open source in government procurement. Black wrote that "Open source software -- software that can be used, copied, modified and redistributed by anyone -- should be considered a valuable option in the IT marketplace and the modern IT ecosystem. Open source software is not only an important procurement option for the U.S. Government, it can also serve as a useful tool for engaging the public at large, as well as expert communities." He added that "governments should choose software based on an analysis of the costs and benefits, not ideology. Open source solutions may not be the best option in all cases; the inherent advantages of open source software, such as the lack of up-front licensing costs and the ability to inspect and modify source code, often provide a strong case for adoption, but must be weighed against the advantages of traditionally-developed, proprietary software."

11/9. Ron Kirk, head of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, traveled to Singapore for a meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meeting. See, OUSTR release.

11/6. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published a notice in the Federal Register requesting public comments on papers prepared by the NIST's Technology Innovation Program (TIP). This notice adds that "The suggested dates for submission of comments on white papers are: November 9, 2009 through September 30, 2010." See, Federal Register, November 6, 2009, Vol. 74, No. 214, at Pages 57452-57453.

11/4. The Department of Commerce's (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), which regulates exports, published a notice in the Federal Register further amending its encryption export rules. This latest notice states that it corrects errors in rules changes announced in a notice published in the Federal Register on October 15, 2009. See, Federal Register, November 4, 2009, Vol. 74, No. 212, at Page, 57061-57062. See also, Federal Register, October 15, 2009, Vol. 74, No. 198, at Pages 52880-52885.

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In This Issue
This issue contains the following items:
 • Genachowski Discusses Internet Regulation NPRM
 • FCC Seeks Comments on Broadband Adoption
 • RUS and NTIA Seek Comments on Second Round of Broadband Grants
 • US and Russia Sign MOU on Antitrust
 • Groups Complain About ACTA Closed Process
 • More News
Washington Tech Calendar
New items are highlighted in red.
Wednesday, November 11

Veterans' Day. This is a federal holiday. See, Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) web page titled "2009 Federal Holidays".

The House will not meet. It will next meet at 2:00 PM on November 16.

The Senate will not meet. It will next meet at 2:00 PM on November 16.

Thursday, November 12

The House will not meet.

The Senate will not meet.

REVISED SCHEDULE. 9:00 AM - 12:40 PM. The Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) will host an event titled "Unlocking the Future of Communications". At 9:10 AM, there will be a panel titled "Can Stupid Networks Result in Smarter Computing". The speakers will be Karen Kerrigan (Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council), Hank Hultquist (AT&T Services), and Patrick Ross (Copyright Alliance). At 10:00 AM, Paul Misener (Amazon) will give a speech titled "Net Neutrality Done Right". At 10:30 AM, there will be a panel titled "Insider Discussion: The Future of Communications". The speakers will be Michael McCurry (Arts + Labs), Kyle McSlarrow (NCTA), and Carolyn Brandon (Georgetown University School of Business). At 11:45 AM, Robert McDowell (FCC Commissioner) will give a speech. At 11:55 AM, there will be a panel titled "A Bundle of Unbundling -- A Global Perspective". The speakers will be Massimiliano Trovto (Istituto Bruno Leoni), Greg Frazier (MPAA), and Scott Cleland (Precursor LLC). Lunch will be served. RSVP to Erin Humiston at 972-874-5239 or erin at ipi dot org. Location: Reserve Officer Association Building, 5th floor, 1 Constitution Ave., NE.

TIME CHANGE. 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will hold a hearing titled "The Role of Broadband in Improving Public Safety Communications and Emergency Response" to assist it in drafting a document titled "National Broadband Plan". See, agenda. Location: Georgetown University, Leavey Center, 3900 Reservoir Rd, NW.

2:30 PM. The Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Bureau of Economics will host a presentation by Lawrence White (New York University business school) titled "The Credit Rating Agencies: How Did We Get Here? Where Should We Go?". See, paper [24 pages in PDF] with the same title. Location: FTC, 601 New Jersey Ave., NW.

7:00 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA) will host an event titled "20th Annual Charity Auction". It states that "prizes are expected to include vacation packages, electronics products, tickets to various sporting events (including Redskins, Wizards, Capitals, and Nationals games), Verizon Center events, theater tickets, dinners, lunches, spa packages, and gift certificates from area businesses". Location: Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel, Sphinx Ballroom at the Almas Temple, 1315 K St., NW.

Day one of a two day event hosted by the American Bar Association's (ABA) Standing Committee on Law and National Security titled "Nineteenth Annual Review of the Field for National Security Law". At 8:30 to 10:00 AM there will be a panel comprised of David Kris (Assistant Attorney General in charge of the DOJ's National Security Division), Robert Litt (Office of the Director of National Intelligence General Counsel), Stephen Preston (CIA GC), Ivan Fong (DHS GC), and Jeh Johnson (DOD GC). At 10:45 AM - 12:30 PM there will be a panel on legislative developments. The speakers will be Suzanne Spaulding (Bingham Consulting Group), Chris Donesa (Republican Chief Counsel of the House Intelligence Committee), Perry Apelbaum (Staff Director and Chief Counsel of the House Committee on the Judiciary), Brandon Milhorn (Republican Staff Director and Chief Counsel of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee), and Rick DeBobes (Staff Director of the Senate Committee on Armed Services). Location: Renaissance Washington DC Hotel, Renaissance Ballroom, 999 9th St., NW.

Day one of a two day conference hosted by the American Bar Association's (ABA) Section of Antitrust Law titled "Fall Forum Agenda". At 9:00 AM, Carl Shapiro, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Economic Analysis in the DOJ's Antitrust Division, will speak. At 9:45 AM there will be a panel titled "DOJ Enforcement Agenda". The speakers will include Phil Weiser (Deputy Assistant Attorney General for International, Policy and Appellate Matters). At 11:15 AM - 12:30 PM, there will be a panel titled "FTC Enforcement Agenda". The speakers will include Joseph Farrell (Director of the FTC's Bureau of Economics), Richard Feinstein (Director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition), and David Vladeck (Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection). At 1:30 PM, William Kovacic (FTC Commissioner) will give a lunch speech titled "The Application of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act". At 2:30 - 3:45 PM, there will be a panel titled "Shaping Antitrust Policies: The Role of the Courts". The speakers will include Douglas Ginsburg, Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. See, agenda [PDF]. Location: National Press Club, 13th Floor, 529 14th St., NW.

Day one of a three day event hosted by the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies titled "2009 National Lawyers Convention". At 12:00 NOON - 2:00 PM there will be a panel titled "Intellectual Property and Economic Growth". See, conference web site. Location: Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave., NW.

5:00 PM. Deadline to submit comments to the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Computer Security Division (CSD) regarding its draft SP 800-78-2 [20 pages in PDF] titled "Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for Personal Identification Verification (PIV)".

Deadline to submit comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Public Notice [4 pages in PDF] regarding numerous topics, including public safety mobile wireless broadband networks, "Next Generation 911", cybersecurity, and and emergency alert and warning systems. The FCC seeks answers to questions to assist it in drafting a document titled "National Broadband Plan", and for other purposes. This item is DA 09-2133 in GN Docket Nos. 09-47, 09-51, and 09-137; PS Docket Nos. 06-229, 07-100, and 07-114; WT Docket No. 06-150; CC Docket No. 94-102; and WC Docket No. 05-196.

Friday, November 13

The House will not meet.

The Senate will not meet.

9:00 AM. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano will give a speech on immigration policy. Location: Center for American Progress, 10th floor, 1333, H St., NW.

12:30 -1:30 PM. Tthe Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Legislative Committee will host a closed brown bag lunch titled "Telecommunications Issues Before Congress". Location: Goodfriend Government Affairs, 5th floor, 1300 19th St., NW.

Day two of a two day event hosted by the American Bar Association's (ABA) Standing Committee on Law and National Security titled "Nineteenth Annual Review of the Field for National Security Law". At 12:30 PM Janet Napolitano will give the keynote address. At 2:30 - 4:15 PM there will be a panel titled "Cyber Security and Cyber Warfare". The speakers will be Spike Bowman (University of Virginia School of Law), Bradford Bleier (Supervisory Special Agent of the FBI's Cyber Division), Philip Reitinger (DHS Deputy Undersecretary of National Protection and Programs Directorate), Chris Painter (acting Senior Director for Cybersecurity at the National Security Council), Kim Taipale (Center for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology Policy. Location: Renaissance Washington DC Hotel, Renaissance Ballroom, 999 9th St., NW.

Day two of a two day conference hosted by the American Bar Association's (ABA) Section of Antitrust Law titled "Fall Forum Agenda". At 8:30 - 10:00 AM, there will be a panel on antitrust enforcement by states. At 10:00 - 11:15 AM, there will be a panel titled "Major Developments Abroad: Recent Developments in EC Enforcement, Early Returns on Chinese Enforcement and Developments in Canada". At 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM, there will be a panel titled "The Role of Sector Specific Regulators In Merger Review". The speakers will include James Bird, head antitrust merger reviews at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). See, agenda [PDF]. Location: National Press Club, 13th Floor, 529 14th St., NW.

Day two of a three day event hosted by the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies titled "2009 National Lawyers Convention". At 3:15 - 4:45 PM there will be a panel titled "The Fairness Doctrine". See, conference web site. Location: Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave., NW.

Deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Public Notice [PDF] that requests comments regarding "the sufficiency of current spectrum allocations in spectrum bands, including but not limited to the prime spectrum bands below 3.7 GHz". This is to aid the FCC in drafting its "National Broadband Plan". This item is DA 09-2100 in GN Docket Nos. 09-47, 09-51, and 09-137.

Deadline to submit initial comments to the Copyright Office and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ((USPTO) in response to the Notice of Inquiry (NOI) regarding the draft treaty [PDF] proposed to the World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) by Brazil, Ecuador, and Paraguay. See, notice in the Federal Register, October 13, 2009, Vol. 74, No. 196, at Pages 52507-52509, and story titled "Copyright Office and USPTO Issue NOI Regarding Treaty Based Exemption to Anti-Circumvention Provisions" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,003, October 15, 2009.

Saturday, November 14

Day three of a three day event hosted by the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies titled "2009 National Lawyers Convention". At 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM there will be a panel titled "Broadband Policy -- One Year In". At 2:30 - 4:15 PM there will be a panel titled "Control of the Bureaucracy". See, conference web site. Location: Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave., NW.

Monday, November 16

The House will meet at 2:00 PM.

The Senate will meet at 2:00 PM. It will resume consideration of HR 3082 [LOC | WW], the "Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2010".

7:00 AM - 8:30 PM. The Executive Office of the President's (EOP) Office of Science and Technology Policy's (OSTP) National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) will hold an event titled "Nanotechnology Primer Public Pre-meeting". See, notice in the Federal Register, October 30, 2009, Vol. 74, No. 209, at Pages 56246. Location: Holiday Inn Rosslyn Key Bridge, 1900 N. Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA.

6:00 - 8:00 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA) will host a reception for Jonathan Blake, Judith Harris, and Henry Rivera. Register by contacting Desiree Logan at dlogan at reedsmith dot com. Location: Reed Smith, East Tower, Penthouse, 1301 K St., NW.

Deadline to submit comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Public Notice [4 pages in PDF] regarding the proposed creation of a "broadband clearinghouse". The FCC has received comments making such a proposal. See for example, comment [PDF] of the Public Knowledge at page 40. The FCC This item is DA 09-2167 in GN Docket Nos. 09-47, 09-51, and 09-137.

Deadline to submit comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding the report [232 pages in PDF] issued by the Harvard University Law School titled "Next Generation Connectivity: A review of broadband Internet transitions and policy from around the world". See, FCC Public Notice. The FCC requests comments to assist it in drafting a document titled "National Broadband Plan". This Public Notice is DA 09-2217 in GN Docket Nos. 09-47, 09-51, and 09-137.

Tuesday, November 17

8:30 AM - 5:00 PM. Day one of a two day meeting of the Executive Office of the President's (EOP) Office of Science and Technology Policy's (OSTP) National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO). See, notice in the Federal Register, October 30, 2009, Vol. 74, No. 209, at Pages 56245-56246. Location: Holiday Inn Rosslyn Key Bridge, 1900 N. Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA.

9:30 AM - 4:30 PM. The Heritage Foundation will host a one day conference titled "Measuring Innovation and Change During Turbulent Economic Times". This event will address how innovation can become a standard component of U.S. national accounting system, and how incorporating innovation metrics will aid the development of a unified picture of the sources of growth and economic disruption. See, notice. Location: Heritage, 214 Massachusetts Ave., NE.

10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee's (SJC) Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security will hold a hearing titled "Cybersecurity: Preventing Terrorist Attacks and Protecting Privacy in Cyberspace". The witnesses will be James Baker (Associate Deputy Attorney General), Philip Reitinger (Director of the DHS's National Cyber Security Center), Richard Schaeffer (Director of the NSA's Information Assurance Directorate), Steven Chabinsky (Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI's Cyber Division), Gregory Nojeim (Center for Democracy and Technology), Larry Clinton (Internet Security Alliance), and Larry Wortzel (Vice Chairman of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission). The SJC will webcast this hearing. See, notice. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

10:00 - 11:30 AM. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) will host a panel discussion titled "Explaining International Mobile Payments Leadership". The speakers will be Rob Atkinson (ITIF), Stephen Ezell (ITIF), Pragnesh Shah (Network Solutions), David Jeppsen (NTT DOCOMO USA), and Mark McCarthy. See, notice. Location: ITIF, 1101 K St., NW.

12:00 NOON - 2:00 PM. The Copyright Alliance will host a panel discussion titled "Expanding the Consumer Experience: The New Generation of Entertainment". The speakers will include Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee (HJC). See, notice. RSVP to Gayle Osterberg at gayle at 133publicaffairs dot com. Location: Room 2226, Rayburn Building.

2:30 PM. The Senate Commerce Committee (SCC) will hold a hearing titled "Aggressive Sales Tactics on the Internet and Their Impact on American Consumers". See, notice. Location: Room 253, Russell Building.

5:00 - 7:00 PM. The Copyright Alliance will host an event titled "EXPOnential" and "Live from Main Street: Copyright and the Local Economy". The speakers will include Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee (HJC). See, notice. RSVP to Gayle Osterberg at gayle at 133publicaffairs dot com. Location: Cannon Caucus Room, Cannon Building.

5:00 PM. Deadline to submit petitions to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (OUSTR) for competitive need limitation (CNL) waivers and Section 503(c)(1)(E) determinations regarding products not produced in the U.S. on January 1, 1995. See, notice in the Federal Register, May 28, 2009, Vol. 74, No. 101, Page 25605-25607.

6:00 - 8:15 PM. The DC Bar Association will host an event titled "Export Controls and Economic Sanctions 2009: Recent Developments and Current Issues". The speakers will be Carol Kalinoski and Thomas Scott. The price to attend ranges from $89 to $129. Most DC Bar events are not open to the public. This event qualifies for continuing legal education (CLE) credits. See, notice. For more information, call 202-626-3488. Location: DC Bar Conference Center, 1101 K St., NW.

Deadline to submit to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (OUSTR) petitions requesting either Competitive Need Limitation (CNL) waivers, or determinations regarding eligible products not produced in the United States on January 1, 1995. See, notice in the Federal Register, November 3, 2009, Vol. 74, No. 211, at Pages 56908-56909.

Wednesday, November 18

8:30 AM - 1:00 PM. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will host an event titled "Roundtable on Work Sharing for Patent Applications". See, notice in the Federal Register, October 21, 2009, Vol. 74, No. 202, at Pages 54028-54029. Location: USPTO, Madison Auditorium, Concourse Level, Madison Building, 600 Dulany St., Alexandria, VA.

8:30 AM - 3:00 PM. Day two of a two day meeting of the Executive Office of the President's (EOP) Office of Science and Technology Policy's (OSTP) National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO). See, notice in the Federal Register, October 30, 2009, Vol. 74, No. 209, at Pages 56245-56246. Location: Holiday Inn Rosslyn Key Bridge, 1900 N. Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA.

10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold a hearing titled "Oversight of the Department of Justice". The witness will be Attorney General Eric Holder. The SJC will webcast this event. See, notice. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

10:00 AM. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) may host an event titled "open meeting". The agenda includes two items: (1) a staff presentation on the drafting of a document titled "National Broadband Plan", and (2) adoption of a declaratory ruling regarding timeframes for state and local governmental authorities to consider wireless facilities siting applications. For more information, contact Jen Howard at 202-418-0506 or jen dot howard at fcc dot gov. Location: FCC, Commission Meeting Room, 445 12th St., SW.

1:00 - 5:45 PM. Day one of a two day meeting of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Business and Operations Advisory Committee. See, notice in the Federal Register, October 26, 2009, Vol. 74, No. 205, at Page 55069. Location: NSF, Room 375, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA.

12:15 - 2:00 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) International Telecommunications Committee will host a brown bag lunch titled "Discussion of Network Management Practices of Fixed and Mobile Broadband Providers in Europe and Asia, along with regulations, if any, governing those practices". The speaker Michael Kende (Analysys Mason). Register by November 13 with Jennifer Ullman at Jennifer dot ullman at verizon dot com. Location: Wiley Rein, 1750 K St., NW.

2:00 PM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold a hearing titled "Nominations". See, notice. The SJC will webcast this hearing. For more information, call 202-224-7703. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

2:00 - 3:30 PM. The Department of Justice's (DOJ) Antitrust Division's Economic Analysis Group will host a presentation by Louis Kaplow (Harvard law school) titled "Why Ever Define Markets?" To request permission to attend, contact Patrick Greenlee at 202-307-3745 or atr dot eag at usdoj dot gov. Location: DOJ, Liberty Square Building, 450 5th St., NW.

Deadline to submits comments regarding all issues except sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measure or standards related matters to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (OUSTR) to assist it in preparing its annual National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (NTE). See, notice in the Federal Register, September 24, 2009, Vol. 74, No. 184, at Pages 48811-48813.