[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 16 (Friday, January 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4228-4229]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01354]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

[Docket No. USTR-2014-0003]


2013 Special 301 Out-of-Cycle Review of Spain: Request for Public 
Comments

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Request for written submissions.

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SUMMARY: In the 2013 Special 301 Report (www.ustr.gov), the Office of 
the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that, in order 
to monitor progress on specific intellectual property rights (IPR) 
issues, an Out-of-Cycle Review (OCR) would be conducted for El Salvador 
and Spain. USTR requests written submissions from the public concerning 
any act, policy, or practice that is relevant to the decision regarding 
whether Spain should be identified under Section 182 of the Trade Act 
of 1974 (Trade Act) (19 U.S.C. 2242).

DATES: Friday, February 14, 2014--Deadline for the public, except 
foreign governments, to submit written comments.
    Friday, February 21, 2014--Deadline for foreign governments to 
submit written comments.
    Please note that on January 3, 2014, USTR issued a request for 
comments from the public and provided notice of a public hearing 
related to the 2014 Special 301 Review (https://federalregister.gov/a/2013-31487 (docket number USTR-2013-0040). The public is not required 
to respond to both notices. Written submissions related to Spain filed 
under docket number USTR-2013-0040 will be taken into consideration in 
this Out-of-Cycle Review.

ADDRESSES: All written comments must be in English and submitted 
electronically via http://www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2014-
0003. Please specify ``2013 Special 301 Out-of-Cycle Review of Spain'' 
in the ``Type Comment'' field on http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George York, Deputy Assistant USTR for 
Intellectual Property and Innovation, Office of the United States Trade 
Representative, at (202) 395-6126.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background

    Section 182 of the Trade Act requires USTR to identify countries 
that deny adequate and effective protection of IPR or deny fair and 
equitable market access to U.S. persons who rely on intellectual 
property protection. The provisions of Section 182 are commonly 
referred to as the ``Special 301'' provisions of the Trade Act.
    Those countries that have the most onerous or egregious acts, 
policies, or practices and whose acts, policies, or practices have the 
greatest adverse impact (actual or potential) on relevant U.S. products 
are to be identified as Priority Foreign Countries. In addition, USTR 
has created a ``Priority Watch List'' and a ``Watch List'' under 
Special 301 provisions. Placement of a trading partner on the Priority 
Watch List or Watch List indicates that particular problems exist in 
that country with respect to IPR protection, enforcement, or market 
access for persons relying on intellectual property.
    In the 2013 Special 301 Report, USTR noted that although Spain was 
not listed in the report, USTR would conduct an OCR of Spain focusing 
in particular on Spain's concrete steps to combat copyright piracy over 
the Internet. An OCR is a tool that USTR uses to encourage progress on 
IPR issues of concern. It provides an opportunity for heightened 
engagement with a trading partner to address and remedy such issues. 
Successful resolution of specific IPR issues of concern or lack of 
action on that concern can lead to a change in a trading partner's 
status on a Special 301 list outside of the typical time frame for the 
annual Special 301 Report.

1. Written Comments

a. Requirements for Written Comments

    To facilitate the review, written comments should be as detailed as 
possible and provide all necessary information for identifying and 
assessing the effect of the acts, policies, and practices of Spain. 
USTR requests that interested parties provide specific references to 
laws, regulations, policy statements, executive, presidential or other 
orders, administrative, court or other determinations that should 
factor in the review. USTR also requests that submissions include data, 
loss estimates, and other information regarding the economic impact on 
the United States, U.S. industry, and the U.S. workforce caused by the 
denial of adequate and effective intellectual

[[Page 4229]]

property protection. Comments that include quantitative loss claims 
should be accompanied by the methodology used in calculating such 
estimated losses.

b. Filing Instructions

    Comments must be in English. All comments should be sent 
electronically via http://www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2014-
0003. To submit comments to http://www.regulations.gov, locate the 
docket (folder) by entering the number USTR-2014-0003 in the ``Enter 
Keyword or ID'' window at the http://www.regulations.gov home page and 
click ``Search.'' The site will provide a search-results page listing 
all documents associated with this docket. Locate the reference to this 
notice by selecting ``Notice'' under ``Document Type'' on the left side 
of the search-results page, and click on the link entitled ``Comment 
Now!''. The http://www.regulations.gov site provides the option of 
submitting comments by filling in a ``Type comment'' field, or by 
attaching a document. USTR requests that comments be provided in an 
attached document. If a document is attached, please type ``2013 
Special 301 Out-of-Cycle Review of Spain' in the ``Type Comment'' 
field. Please submit documents prepared in (or compatible with) 
Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) formats. If the 
submission was prepared in a compatible format, please indicate the 
name of the relevant application in the ``Type comment'' field. For 
further information on using the http://www.regulations.gov Web site, 
please select ``How to use Regulations.gov'' on the bottom of any page. 
Please do not attach separate cover letters to electronic submissions; 
rather, include any information that might appear in a cover letter in 
the comments themselves. Similarly, to the extent possible, please 
include any exhibits, annexes, or other attachments in the same file as 
the submission itself, not as separate files.

c. Business Confidential Information

    A submitter requesting that information contained in a comment 
submitted by that submitter be treated as confidential business 
information must certify that such information is business confidential 
and would not customarily be released to the public by the submitter. 
The filenames of both documents should reflect their status--``BCI'' 
for the business confidential version and ``PUBLIC'' for the public 
version. In the document, confidential business information must be 
clearly designated as such, the submission must be marked ``BUSINESS 
CONFIDENTIAL'' at the top and bottom of the cover page and each 
succeeding page, and the submission should indicate, via brackets, the 
specific information that is confidential. Additionally, the submitter 
should write ``Business Confidential'' in the ``Type Comment'' field. 
Anyone submitting a comment containing business confidential 
information must also submit, as a separate submission, a non-business 
confidential version of the submission, indicating where the business 
confidential information has been redacted. The non-business 
confidential version will be placed in the docket at http://www.regulations.gov and be available for public inspection
Public Inspection of Comments
    Submissions will be placed in the docket and open to public 
inspection pursuant to 15 CFR 2006.13, except business confidential 
information exempt from public inspection in accordance with 15 CFR 
2006.15. Submissions may be viewed on the www.regulations.gov Web site 
by entering docket number USTR-2014-0003 in the search field on the 
home page.

Susan F. Wilson,
Director for Intellectual Property and Innovation.
[FR Doc. 2014-01354 Filed 1-23-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F4-P