[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 108 (Monday, June 5, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35611-35612]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-13975]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

United States Patent and Trademark Office


Request for Comments on Issues Related to Policies and Agenda for 
the National Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Coordination Council

AGENCIES: U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Patent and Trademark 
Office, as Co-Chairs, National Intellectual Property Law Enforcement 
Coordination Council.

ACTION: Notice of request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Members of the National Intellectual Property Law 
Enforcement Coordination Council (the Council) seek public comment on 
issues associated with the Council's mission. Interested members of the 
public are invited to present written comments on any of the topics 
outlined in the Supplementary Information section of this Notice.

DATES: All comments are due by June 20, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to offer written comments should address 
those comments to Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property 
and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Box 4, 
Washington, D.C. 20231, marked to the attention of Elizabeth Shaw. 
Comments may also be submitted by facsimile transmission to (703) 305-
8885, or by electronic mail through the Internet to 
[email protected]. All comments will be maintained for public 
inspection in Room 902 , Crystal Park II, 2121 Crystal Drive, 
Arlington, Virginia.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Shaw by telephone at (703)

[[Page 35612]]

305-9300, by fax at (703) 305-8885, or by mail marked to her attention 
and addressed to Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property 
and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Box 4, 
Washington, D.C. 20231.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background

    On September 29, 1999, President William J. Clinton signed into law 
the Treasury/Postal Appropriations Bill, Public Law No. 106-58, Section 
653, which created the ``National Intellectual Property Law Enforcement 
Coordination Council'' (the Council). The Council's mission is ``to 
coordinate domestic and international intellectual property law 
enforcement among federal and foreign entities.'' The Council is 
required to ``report annually on its coordination activities'' to the 
President and to the Appropriations and Judiciary Committees of the 
House and Senate.
    The statutorily designated Council Members, listed according to 
their order of mention in the statute, are: The Assistant Secretary of 
Commerce and Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks (Co-Chair) (under 
Public Law No. 106-113, the head of the United States Patent and 
Trademark Office is the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual 
Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office) 
(The Honorable Q. Todd Dickinson); the Assistant Attorney General, 
Criminal Division (Co-Chair) (The Honorable James K. Robinson); the 
Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business, and Agricultural 
Affairs (The Honorable Alan P. Larson); the Deputy United States Trade 
Representative (Ambassador Richard Fisher); the Commissioner of Customs 
(The Honorable Raymond W. Kelly); and the Under Secretary of Commerce 
for International Trade (Acting Under Secretary Robert S. LaRussa). In 
addition, the statute directs the Council to consult with the Register 
of Copyrights (The Honorable Marybeth Peters) on law enforcement 
matters relating to copyrights and related matters and rights.
    The full Council and their staffs have met on several occasions to 
begin shaping the Council's agenda. This Request for Public Comment is 
intended to give intellectual property rights owners (and other 
interested parties) an opportunity to recommend steps in furtherance of 
the Council's mission.

2. Issues for Public Comment

    Interested members of the public are invited to present written 
comments on issues relevant to the policy-related objectives listed 
below. This forum is not intended to serve as an opportunity for the 
public to air individual case-related complaints unless they are 
relevant to broader law enforcement policy issues.
The Council's Agenda
    What, if any, domestic policy-level law enforcement issues should 
the Council address?
    What, if any, international policy-level law enforcement issues 
should the Council address?
Council-Industry Cooperation
    In what ways can the Council assist the intellectual property 
industries in creating domestic and international environments 
conducive to enforcement of intellectual property rights?
    In what ways can the Council enhance the enforcement of 
intellectual property rights while facilitating legitimate trade?
    Are there gaps or impediments in existing law enforcement regimes 
that, if remedied, would enable rights-holders to better protect their 
intellectual property rights?
    In what ways can the intellectual property industries contribute to 
or assist the Council in carrying out its mission of coordinating 
domestic and international intellectual property law enforcement-
related activities?
    In what ways can the Council assist U.S. Government interaction 
with its foreign counterparts on intellectual property law enforcement-
related activities?

3. Guidelines for Written Comments

    Written comments should include the name, affiliation, and title of 
the individual providing the written comments; and, if applicable, an 
indication of whether the comments offered represent the views of the 
respondent's organization or are the respondent's personal views.
    Parties offering written comments should also provide their 
comments in machine-readable (electronic) format. Such submissions may 
be provided via Internet electronic mail or on a 3.5" floppy disk 
formatted for use in either a Macintosh or MS-DOS based computer. 
Machine-readable (electronic) submissions should be provided as 
unformatted text (e.g., ASCII or plain text) or as formatted text in 
one of the following formats: Microsoft Word (Macintosh, DOS, or 
Windows versions); or WordPerfect (Macintosh, DOS, or Windows 
versions).
    Information that is provided pursuant to this notice will be made 
part of a public record and may be made available via the Internet. 
Therefore, parties should not submit information that they do not wish 
to be publicly disclosed or made electronically accessible. Parties who 
rely on confidential information to illustrate a point are requested to 
summarize, or otherwise submit the information in a way that will 
permit its public disclosure.

    Dated: May 31, 2000.
Q. Todd Dickinson,
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of 
the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
John C. Keeney,
Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, United 
States Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 00-13975 Filed 6-2-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P