3/30. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) sent a letter to Senators and Representatives regarding the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) seizure of web site domains of "illegal for-profit businesses knowingly trafficking in stolen and counterfeit goods".

The MPAA wrote that "The websites targeted by ICE -- via a transparent process that requires a judicial finding of probable cause -- are not ``innocent´´ Internet users". Rather, they are harming the movie industry, consumers, and the U.S. economy.

The MPAA stated that it supports "addition resources" for intellectual property enforcement.

The DHS/ICE has named its domain name seizure activities "Operation In Our Sites". See, the DHS/ICE release of June 30, 2010, describing the seizure of domain names. See also, story titled "DOJ and DHS Seize Domain Names of Web Sites Engaged in Infringing Sales" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,167, December 3, 2010.

Late in the 111th Congress, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC), introduced a bill regarding Department of Justice (DOJ) seizure of domain names of web sites dedicated to infringement. That bill has not yet been introduced in the House or Senate in the 112th Congress.

See, S 3804 [LOC | WW], the "Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act", or "COICA", introduced on September 20, 2010. See also, story titled Senators Introduce Bill to Enable DOJ to Shut Down Web Sites Dedicated to Infringement", "Bill Summary: Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act", and "Commentary: Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,132, September 21, 2010.

3/31. The Public Knowledge released three more papers in a series that propose changes to copyright law. The PK has named its proposed changes the "Copyright Reform Act". These three papers address the Section 512 notice and take down process, incidental copies, and digital music licensing.

The just released items are:

• Paper [27 pages in PDF] titled "Updating 17 U.S.C. § 512’s Notice and Takedown Procedure for Innovators, Creators, and Consumers" by Dena Chen, Musetta Durkee, Jared Friend, and Jennifer Urban of UC Berkeley law school.
• Paper [19 pages in PDF] titled "Providing an Incidental Copies Exemption for Service Providers and End-Users", also by Chen, Durkee, Friend, and Urban.
• Paper [30 pages in PDF] titled "Streamlining Music Licensing to Facilitate Digital Music Delivery" by Daniel Park, Jennifer Lynch, and Urban.

Previously, the PK released the following items:

• Paper [15 pages in PDF] released in February of 2010 titled "Introduction to the Copyright Reform Act".
• Paper [37 pages in PDF] titled "Report 1: Updating Fair Use for Innovators and Creators in the Digital Age: Two Targeted Reforms". See also, story titled "Public Knowledge Proposes Changes to Copyright Law" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,045, February 16, 2010.
• Paper [71 pages in PDF] released in May titled "Report 2: Updating 17 U.S.C. § 1201 for Innovators, Creators, and Consumers in the Digital Age". See also, story titled "Public Knowledge Urges Anti-Circumvention Exceptions" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,091, June 3, 2010.
• Paper [47 pages in PDF] titled "Copyright Abuse and Notice". See also, story titled "PK Proposes Legislation to Address Copyright Abuse and Notice" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,172, December 8, 2010.

3/31. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released a report [30 pages in PDF] titled "Relocation of Federal Radio Systems from the 1710 -- 1755 Spectrum Band: Fourth Annual Progress Report".

In September 2006, the FCC conducted the first auction of licenses for advanced wireless services (AWS) in the 1710-1755 MHz band, paired with the 2110-2155 MHz band. See, story titled "FCC Completes First Advanced Wireless Services Spectrum Auction" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,454, September 21, 2006.

In August 2008, the FCC held a second auction of licenses that were not sold in the first auction.

The just released report states that "A vast majority of Federal agencies report that they are meeting their original relocation timeframe and cost estimates. For example, a total of 146 systems (approximately 81 percent of the total systems) have relocated from the 1710-1755 MHz band. In addition, all Federal agencies’ systems that had relocation timeframes of 36 months or less have relocated. Seven out of the twelve agencies (Department of Treasury, Department of Homeland Security, United States Postal Service, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Transportation/ Federal Aviation Administration) have vacated the band entirely." (Parentheses in original. Footnote omitted.)

Also, "During this reporting period three Federal agencies requested and were denied additional time by NTIA and OMB to relocate specific systems out of the band."

The report also states that the "NTIA expects the five remaining agencies to complete their relocation from the 1710-1755 MHz band by April 2013. Specifically, the Department of Defense, Tennessee Valley Authority, United States Department of Agriculture, and most of the Department of Energy systems will relocate by April 2011. The remaining Department of Energy systems will relocate by April 2013. The Department of Interior will complete its relocation effort by April 2013."

3/22. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filed its brief [79 pages in PDF] with the U.S. Court of Appeals (10thCir) in Qwest Corporation v. FCC, App. Ct. No. 10-9543, a petition for review of an order of the FCC denying Qwest's petition for forbearance from applying certain dominant carrier regulations imposed on incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) and certain statutory requirements that require ILECs to unbundle network elements.

The order under review is the FCC's Memorandum Opinion and Order (MOO) [67 pages in PDF], adopted on June 15, 2010, and released on June 22, 2010. It is FCC 10-113 in WC Docket No. 09-135. See also, story titled "FCC Denies Qwest's Petition for Forbearance in Phoenix" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,100, June 23, 2010.

The FCC argued in its just filed brief that "Qwest had failed to carry its burden under section 10 of the Communications Act by showing that: (1) the requirements from which it sought forbearance were not necessary to ensure just, reasonable and nondiscriminatory rates and practices; (2) those requirements were not necessary to protect consumers; and (3) forbearance would serve the public interest."

FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell wrote in his statement last June that this order sets "a test so stringent that no requesting carrier will ever satisfy it".

Commissioner Merideth Baker wrote in her statement that "I hope that the application of the statutory test using the analytic framework in this Order will not become an insurmountable hurdle for petitioners, which in turn would undermine the will of Congress to relieve regulatory burdens where competition can better regulate the market."

Section 10 of the Communications Act, which is codified at 47 U.S.C. § 160(c),  provides in part that "Any telecommunications carrier, or class of telecommunications carriers, may submit a petition to the Commission requesting that the Commission exercise the authority granted under this section with respect to that carrier or those carriers, or any service offered by that carrier or carriers. ..."

3/18. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filed an amicus curiae brief [22 pages in PDF] with the U.S. Court of Appeals (4thCir) in T-Mobile v. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, App. Ct. No. 11-1060, an appeal from the U.S. District Court (EDVa) in a wireless facilities siting case.

The applicable statute is the ambiguously worded 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7). For example, it requires state and local governments to act upon requests "within a reasonable period of time".

The FCC adopted and released a Declaratory Ruling (DR) [42 pages in PDF] on November 18, 2009, that defines the time frames for state and local action on wireless facilities siting requests. It is FCC 09-99 in WT Docket No. 08-165. See also, story titled "FCC Adopts Declaratory Ruling Regarding State and Local Tower Siting Procedures" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,017, November 23, 2009.

This DR remains in effect. However, there are petitions for review of that DR pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals (5thCir). See, City of Arlington and City of San Antonio v. FCC, App. Ct. Nos. 10-60039 and 10-60805.

The FCC wrote in its brief that it "cannot effectively implement the Communications Act -- and avoid inconsistent judicial interpretations of the same statutory provision -- unless the courts apply the agency's reasonable interpretation of the statute’s ambiguities. Consequently, the FCC has a strong interest in ensuring that when a court adjudicates a dispute involving an ambiguous provision of the Act, the court honors the agency's reasonable reading of the statute."

The FCC argued that its DR is an "authoritative interpretation" of section 332(c)(7), that "is controlling, even if the Court adopted a different reading of the statute in previous cases".

3/31. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released an agenda for its April 7, 2011, event titled "open meeting". This agenda contains the same six items listed on its tentative agenda released on March 17, 2011. See, story titled "FCC Releases Tentative Agenda for April 7 Meeting" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,207, March 23, 2011. The FCC is scheduled to adopt an order on pole attachments, a report and order on data roaming, a notice of inquiry on access to government rights of way and wireless facility siting requirements, and other items.

3/28. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filed its brief [88 pages in PDF, redacted] with the U.S. Court of Appeals (DCCir) in Farmers & Merchants Mutual Telephone Co. of Wayland Iowa v. FCC and USA, App. Ct. No. 10-1093, petitions for review of an order of the FCC pertaining to traffic pumping. The Court of Appeals has not yet scheduled oral argument.

3/24. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filed its brief [70 pages in PDF] with the U.S. Court of Appeals (DCCir) in Feature Group IP West v. FCC, App. Ct. No. 10-1257, a petition for review of orders of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) denying a petition for forbearance from applying certain FCC rules regarding intercarrier compensation. The Court of Appeals will hear oral argument on May 10, 2011.

3/31. President Obama nominated Alison Nathan to be a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. See, White House news office release and release. She currently works for the Office of the Attorney General of the State of New York. Before that she worked in the Special Assistant to President Obama and Associate White House Counsel. She has also worked for the law firm of Wilmer Hale.

3/31. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) held an executive business meeting at which it held over the nomination of Goodwin Liu to be a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

3/31. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) held an executive business meeting at which it approved the nomination of John McConnell to be a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, on a vote of 11-7. McConnell faces pay for play allegations. That is, he is both a major contributor to political campaigns, and has represented state attorneys general in huge tort cases under no bid contingency fee contracts. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), the ranking Republican on the SJC, stated that McConnell is "an active partisan" who, along with his family, has donated over $700,000 to Democrats. He added that McConnell is "steeped in political activity", has asserted unfounded legal theories in "mass tort litigation", and has lacked candor in communications with the SJC. See also, story titled "More People and Appointments" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,098, June 21, 2010.

3/31. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) held an executive business meeting at which it approved by unanimous consent the nominations of Kevin Sharp (USDC/MDTenn), Roy Dalton (USDC/MDFl), and Claire Cecchi USDC/DNJ),

3/31. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) held an executive business meeting at which it held over the nominations of Esther Salas (USDC/DNJ), Paul Oetken (USDC/SDNY), and Paul Engelmayer (USDC/SDNY).

4/1. Verizon Communications, Inc. announced in a release that its "successful completion of the tender offer made by Verizon’s wholly owned subsidiary, Verizon Holdings Inc., for all outstanding shares" of common stock of Terremark Worldwide, Inc., a data storage and cloud computing services company.

3/31. The Department of Justice's (DOJ) Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) signed an signed an antitrust cooperation agreement with the nation of Chile's antitrust regulatory agency, Office of the National Economic Prosecutor. The DOJ stated in a release that this "agreement contains provisions for antitrust enforcement cooperation and coordination, conflict avoidance and consultations with respect to enforcement actions, and technical cooperation and is subject to effective confidentiality protections".

3/31. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) held an executive business meeting at which it held over consideration of S 410 [LOC | WW], the "Sunshine in the Courtroom Act".

3/29. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke gave a speech in Los Angeles, California, on trade. He said that "America's economic output is expected to grow more from the U.S.-Korea agreement than from our last nine trade agreements combined." He added that "We are working hard to get this deal through the U.S. Senate".

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The House will meet at 12:00 NOON for morning hour, and at 2:00 PM for legislative business. The House will consider HR 1246, a bill regarding printing at the Department of Defense. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 PM. See, Rep. Cantor's schedule for the week of April 4.

The Senate will meet at 2:00 PM. It will consider the nomination of Jimmie Reyna to be a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals (FedCir).

12:00 NOON - 1:30 PM. The DC Bar Association will host an event titled "Demystifying Social Media -- What Every Lawyer Should Know". The speakers will be Tasha Coleman, Tom Foster, Laura Possessky, Michelle Thomas. See, notice. Free. For more information, contact Daniel Mills at 202-626-1312. Location: DC Bar Conference Center, 1101 K St., NW.

12:30 - 2:00 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) International Telecommunications Committee will host a brown bag lunch titled "Internet Ecosystem". The speakers will include Jack Nadler (Squire Sanders), Michael Kende (Analysys Mason USA), Paul Kouroupas (Global Crossing), Eric Loeb (AT&T), and Dennis Weller (Navigant Economics). For more information, contact Jennifer Ullman at jennifer at thejgroupplanning dot com. Location: Squire Sanders, Suite 500, 1201 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.

5:00 PM. The House Rules Committee (HRC) will meet to adopt a rule for consideration of HJRes 37, a resolution disapproving the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) rules regulating broadband internet access service (BIAS) providers. See, notice. The HRC will webcast this event. See, stories titled "House Commerce Committee Approves HJRes 37" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,204, March 15, 2011, and "House Subcommittee Passes Resolution of Disapproval of FCC BIAS Rules" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,201, March 10, 2011. Location: H-313, Capitol Building.

Deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding extending to June 30, 2012, the current freeze of jurisdictional separations category relationships and cost allocation factors. This NPRM is FCC 11-34 in CC Docket No. 80-286. The FCC adopted and released it on March 1, 2011. See, Federal Register, March 14, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 49, at Pages 13576-13579.

The House will meet at 10:00 AM for morning hour, and at 12:00 NOON for legislative business. The schedule for the week includes consideration of HJRes 37, a resolution disapproving the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) rules regulating broadband internet access service (BIAS) providers. See, Rep. Cantor's schedule for the week of April 4.

9:00 - 10:30 AM. The Global Business Dialogue will host an event titled "Unwanted Trade: A Look at Trade That Steals, Corrupts, and Destroys". The speakers will be Louis Shelley (George Mason University), Jeannie Cameron (British American Tobacco), Nancy Boswell (Transparency International, USA), Loren Yager (GAO). See, notice. Location: National Press Club, 529 14th St., NW.

2:00 - 3:30 PM. The Department of Justice's (DOJ) Antitrust Division will host a presentation titled "Explaining adoption and use of payment instruments by US consumers". The speaker will be Seigei Koulayev (Boston College), one of the co-authors. There are hyperlinks to copies of this and related papers in Koulayev's personal web site. For more information, contact Thomas Jeitschko at 202-532-4826 or atr dot eag at usdoj dot gov. Location: Liberty Square Building, 450 5th St., NW.

2:30 PM. The Senate Commerce Committee (SCC) will hold a hearing titled "Closing the Digital Divide: Connecting Native Nations and Communities to the 21st Century". See, notice. Location: Room 253, Russell Building.

The House will meet at 10:00 AM for morning hour, and at 12:00 NOON for legislative business. The schedule for the week includes consideration of HJRes 37, a resolution disapproving the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) rules regulating broadband internet access service (BIAS) providers. See, Rep. Cantor's schedule for the week of April 4.

8:30 AM - 4:30 PM. Day one of a two day meeting of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Advisory Committee on the Electronic Records Archives (ACERA). See, notice in the Federal Register, March 21, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 54, at Page 15349. Location: 700 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.

9:00 AM. The House Appropriations Committee's (HAC) Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies will hold a hearing on the FY 2012 budget request for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The witness will be FBI Director Robert Mueller. Location: Room 2359, Rayburn Building.

9:00 AM - 5:30 PM. Day one of a two day seminar hosted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) titled "USPTO China Road Show: Protecting Your Intellectual Property in China and the Global Marketplace". Free. Open to the public. The deadline to register is April 5. See, notice and registration page. Location: USPTO, James Madison Auditorium North, 600 Dulany Street, Concourse Level, Alexandria, VA.

9:30 AM. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will hold an event titled "workshop" regarding its February 8, 2011, NPRM regarding its intercarrier compensation system and universal service fund. See also, NPRM [289 pages in PDF] adopted on February 8, 2011, and released on February 9, 2011. It is FCC 11-13 in WC Docket No. 10-90, GN Docket No. 09-51, WC Docket No. 07-135, WC Docket No. 05-337, CC Docket No. 01-92, CC Docket No. 96-45, and WC Docket No. 03-109. See, notice. Location: FCC, Commission Meeting Room.

POSTPONED. 10:00 AM. The House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) will hold a hearing titled "Export Controls, Arms Sales, and Reform: Balancing U.S. Interests, Part 1". The witnesses will be Eric Hirschhorn (head of the Bureau of Industry and Security), Ellen Tauscher (Department of State), and James Miller (Department of Defense). See, notice. Location: Room 2172, Rayburn Building.

10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold a hearing titled "The Electronic Communications Privacy Act: Government Perspectives on Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age". The witnesses will be Cameron Kerry (General Counsel, Department of Commerce) and James Baker (Associate Deputy Attorney General). The SJC will webcast this hearing. See, notice. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

10:00 AM. The Executive Office of the President (EOP) will host events titled "Spectrum Auctions: Unlocking the Innovative Potential of Wireless Broadband". The participants will be Austan Goolsbee (Chairman of the EOP's Council of Economic Advisers), Julius Genachowski (FCC Chairman), Jason Furman ( Deputy Director of the National Economic Council), Paul Milgrom (Stanford University), Hal Varian (Google), Michelle Connolly (Duke University), and Michael Riordan (Columbia University). The final gather will be at 9:30 AM in the Brady Press Briefing Room. Location: South Court Auditorium, Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

10:45 AM. The House Judiciary Committee's (HJC) Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet will hold a hearing titled "Promoting Investment and Protecting Commerce Online: Legitimate Sites v. Parasites, Part II". See, notice. Location: Room 2141, Rayburn Building.

1:00 PM. The House Small Business Committee (HSBC) will hold a hearing titled "How Passing Free Trade Agreements Will Help Small Businesses Create New Jobs". See, notice. Location: Room 2360, Rayburn Building.

1:00 - 4:30 PM. The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) will host a half day conference titled "Rare Earth Crisis?". See, notice. This event is free and open to the public. Location: AEI, 12th floor, 1150 17th St., NW.

6:00 - 8:00 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA) will host an event titled "Congressional Reception". See, notice and registration form [PDF]. Prices vary. The FCBA excludes reporters from some of its events. Location: Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Ave., NW.

Day one of a four day conference hosted by the the American Bar Association (ABA) titled "26th Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference". See, notice. Location: Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, VA.

The House will meet at 9:00 AM legislative business. The schedule for the week includes consideration of HJRes 37, a resolution disapproving the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) rules regulating broadband internet access service (BIAS) providers. See, Rep. Cantor's schedule for the week of April 4.

Day one of a two day event hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) titled "Cloud Computing Forum & Workshop III". See, notice in the Federal Register, March 15, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 50, at Pages 13984-13985. Location: NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD.

9:00 AM - 5:30 PM. Day two of a two day seminar hosted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) titled "USPTO China Road Show: Protecting Your Intellectual Property in China and the Global Marketplace". Free. Open to the public. The deadline to register is April 5. See, notice and registration page. Location: USPTO, James Madison Auditorium North, 600 Dulany Street, Concourse Level, Alexandria, VA.

9:00 AM - 12:00 NOON. Day two of a two day meeting of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Advisory Committee on the Electronic Records Archives (ACERA). See, notice in the Federal Register, March 21, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 54, at Page 15349. Location: 700 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.

10:00 AM - 1:00 PM. The House Intelligence Committee (HIC) will hold a closed hearing titled "National Reconnaissance Program and National Geospatial Program FY 2012 Budget Overview". See, notice. Location: Room HVC-304, Capitol Visitor Center.

10:00 AM. The House Small Business Committee's (HSBC) Subcommittee on Healthcare and Technology will hold a hearing on HR __, the "Creating Jobs Through Small Business Innovation Act of 2011". This bill pertains to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBTT) programs. See, notice. Location: Room 2360, Rayburn Building.

10:00 AM. The House Appropriations Committee's (HAC) Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies will hold a hearing on the FY 2012 budget request for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The witness will be NIST Director Patrick Gallagher. Location: Room H-309, Capitol Building.

10:00 AM. The House Ways and Means Committee's (HWMC) Subcommittee on Trade will hold a hearing on the pending U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement. See, notice. Location: Rooom 1100, Longworth Building.

10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold an executive business meeting. The agenda again includes consideration of Goodwin Liu (to be a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit). The agenda also includes consideration Esther Salas (USDC/DNJ), Paul Oetken (USDC/SDNY), and Paul Engelmayer (USDC/SDNY). The agenda also includes consideration of S 410 [LOC | WW], the "Sunshine in the Courtroom Act". The SJC rarely follows its published agendas. The SJC will webcast this event. See, notice. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

10:30 AM. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will hold an event titled "open meeting". The FCC will webcast this event. The FCC will webcast this event. See, agenda. See also, story titled "FCC Releases Tentative Agenda for April 7 Meeting" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,207, March 23, 2011. Location: FCC, Commission Meeting Room, 445 12th St., SW.

11:15 AM. The Senate Appropriations Committee's (SAC) Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science and Related Agencies will hold a hearing on the FY 2012 budget request for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The witness will be FBI Director Robert Mueller. Location: Room 192, Dirksen Building.

12:00 NOON - 2:00 PM. The Tech Freedom and Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) will host an event titled "What Should Lawmakers Do About Rogue Websites?". The speakers will be Juliana Gruenwald (National Journal), Daniel Castro (Information Technology & Innovation Foundation), Larry Downes (TF), Danny McPherson (VeriSign), Ryan Radia (CEI), David Sohn (Center for Democracy & Technology), and Thomas Sydnor (Association for Competitive Technology). Register by email: nciandella at cei dot org. Lunch will be served. Free. Open to the public. Location: National Press Club, 13th Floor, 529 14th St. NW.

4:00 PM. George Mason University (GMU) will host a lecture by Shane Greenstein (Northwestern University business school) titled "The Mythology of Networks and Other Lessons from the Commercial Internet". See, notice. Location: Room 120, Hazel Hall, GMU law school, Arlington, VA.

6:00 - 9:15 PM. The DC Bar Association will host an event titled "Preserving Intellectual Property Rights in Government Contracts: A Beginner’s Guide (Part 1)". The speakers will be David Bloch (Winston & Strawn), Richard Gray (Department of Defense, Office of General Counsel), John Lucas (Department of Energy), and James McEwen (Stein McEwen). See, notice. The price to attend ranges from $89 to $129. CLE credits. For more information, call 202-626-3488. Location: DC Bar Conference Center, 1101 K St., NW.

Day two of a four day conference hosted by the the American Bar Association (ABA) titled "26th Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference". See, notice. Location: Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, VA.

Deadline to submit comments to be considered by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in advance of its April 28, 2011, event titled "Public Workshop: Debt Collection 2.0: Protecting Consumers as Technologies Change". See, notice in the Federal Register, March 15, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 50, at Pages 14010-14014, and story titled "FTC Workshop to Address Use of Facebook and Other New Technologies for Debt Collection" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,204, March 15, 2011.

The House will not meet. See, Rep. Cantor's schedule for the week of April 4.

Day two of a two day event hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) titled "Cloud Computing Forum & Workshop III". See, notice in the Federal Register, March 15, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 50, at Pages 13984-13985. Location: NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD.

Day three of a four day conference hosted by the the American Bar Association (ABA) titled "26th Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference". See, notice. Location: Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, VA.

Day four of a four day conference hosted by the the American Bar Association (ABA) titled "26th Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference". See, notice. Location: Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, VA.

3:30 - 5:00 PM. The Heritage Foundation (HF) will host an event titled "Taiwan's Future in the Asian Economic Order". The speakers will be Rupert Hammond-Chambers (US-Taiwan Business Council), Rick Ruzicka (American Institute in Taiwan), Jay Eizenstat (Miller & Chevalier), and Derek Scissors (HF). See, notice. Free. Open to the public. Location: HR, 214 Massachusetts Ave., NE.

6:00 - 9:15 PM. The DC Bar Association will host an event titled "Software Development Contracts: Practical Advice on Drafting, Managing, and Litigating". The speaker will be David Temeles, Cornerstone Venture Law. See, notice. The price to attend ranges from $89 to $129. CLE credits. For more information, call 202-626-3488. Location: DC Bar Conference Center, 1101 K St., NW.

Day one of a three day convention hosted by the American Cable Association (ACA). See, convention web site. Location: Hyatt Regency Hotel, 400 New Jersey Ave., NW.

Deadline to submit comments to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) regarding its supplementary guidelines for the examination of claims in patent applications for compliance with the second paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 112, which requires that claims particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter that applicant regards as his or her invention. See, notice in the Federal Register, February 9, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 27, at Pages 7162-7175.

Deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding spectrum use in the Experimental Radio Service (ERS). The FCC adopted and released this NPRM on November 30, 2010. It is FCC 10-197 in ET Docket No. 10-236. See, notice in the Federal Register, February 8, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 26, at Pages 6927-6956.

Deadline to submit initial comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) [58 pages in PDF] regarding development of a technical interoperability framework for a nationwide public safety broadband network in the 700 MHz band. The FCC adopted this NPRM on January 25, 2011, and released the text on January 26, 2011. It is FCC 11-6 in PS Docket No. 06-229, WT Docket 06-150, and WP Docket 07-100. See, notice in the Federal Register, February 24, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 37, at Pages 10295-10299.