[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 240 (Thursday, December 15, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74333-74334]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-24093]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Antitrust Division


Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and 
Production Act of 1993--USB Implementers Forum, Inc.

    Notice is hereby given that, on November 23, 2005, pursuant to 
section 6(a) of the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 
1993, 15 U.S.C. 4301 et seq. (``the Act''), USB Implementers Forum, 
Inc. (``USB-IF'') has filed written notifications simultaneously with 
the Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission disclosing (1) 
the name and principal place of business of the standards development 
organization and (2) the nature and scope of its standards development 
activities. The notifications were filed for the purpose of invoking 
the Act's provisions limiting the recovery of antitrust plaintiffs to 
actual damages under specified circumstances.
    Pursuant to section 6(b) of the Act, the name and principal place 
of business of the standards development organization is: USB 
Implementers forum, Inc., Portland, OR. The nature and scope of USB-
IF's standards development activities are: providing a support 
organization and forum for the advancement and adoption of USB 
technology, by facilitating the development of high quality compatible 
USB devices and promoting USB to accelerate end-user demand for USB

[[Page 74334]]

products through increaded public awareness of the benefits of USB and 
the quality of products that have passed compliance testing. These 
purposes include:
    (i) Defining, establishing and supporting a USB-product review 
program, testing protocol and logo-licensing program in support of the 
USB Primary Specifications (as defined below) and to foster and 
encourage the voluntary adoption of accurate labels, tests, and 
specifications by developers and test houses of products and services 
which utilize USB;
    (ii) Developing and distributing specifications and other documents 
that augment, enhance or extend the USB Primary Specifications for the 
purposes of enabling and promoting increased interoperability and 
reliability among USB products; provided, however, that USB-IF's 
purposes do not include amending or developing USB Primary 
Specifications (the ``USB Primary Specifications'' include the USB 
Specification, the On-Tghe-Go Supplement, the Wireless USB 
Specification, and any other USB specification that USB--IF promoter 
members jointly designate a ``USB Primary Specification'');
    (iii) Providing a forum and environment whereby the members of the 
corporation may meet to review requirements for product 
interoperability and general usability;
    (iv) Educating the business and consumer communities as to the 
value, benefits and applications for USB-based products through the web 
site, public statements, publications, tradeshow demonstrations, 
seminar sponsorships and other programs established by USB-IF;
    (v) Protecting the needs of consumers, promoting ease of use, and 
increasing competition among vendors by supporting the creating and 
implementation of reliable, uniform, industry-standard compliance test 
procedures and processes which support the interoperability of USB-
based products and services;
    (vi) Maintaining relationships and liaison with educational 
institutions, government research institutes, other technology 
consortia, and other organizations that support and contribute to the 
development of specifications and standards for USB-based products; and
    (vii) Fostering competition in the development of new products and 
services based on USB Primary Specifications, in conformance with all 
applicable antitrust laws and regulations.

Dorothy B. Fountain,
Deputy Director of Operations, Antitrust Division.
[FR Doc. 05-24093 Filed 12-14-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4418-11-M