[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 198 (Tuesday, October 14, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61685-61686]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-24309]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

[Docket No. USTR-2014-0020]


2014 Special 301 Out-of-Cycle Review of India

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice of Request for Public Comments.

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SUMMARY: In the 2014 Special 301 Report, the Office of the United 
States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that, in order to assess 
progress on engagement with the Government of India on intellectual 
property rights (IPR) issues, an Out-of-Cycle Review (OCR) would be 
conducted for India. USTR requests written submissions from the public 
concerning information, views, acts, policies, or practices relevant to 
evaluating the Government of India's engagement on IPR issues of 
concern, in particular those identified in the 2014 Special 301 Report. 
The 2014 Special 301 Report is available at www.ustr.gov.
    Deadlines:
    Friday, October 31, 2014--Deadline for the public, except foreign 
governments, to submit written comments.
    Friday, November 7, 2014--Deadline for foreign governments to 
submit written comments.

ADDRESSES: All written comments should be filed electronically via 
www.regulations.gov, Docket Number USTR-2014-0020, and be consistent 
with the requirements set forth below. Please specify ``2014 Special 
301 Out-of-Cycle Review of India'' in the ``Type Comment'' field.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Wilson, Director for 
Intellectual Property and Innovation, Office of the United States Trade 
Representative, at [email protected]. Information on the Special 
301 Review is available at www.ustr.gov.

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 2014 Special 301 Report, USTR placed India on the Priority 
Watch List and noted that it would conduct an OCR of India focusing in 
particular on assessing progress made in establishing and building 
effective, meaningful, and constructive engagement with the Government 
of India on IPR issues of concern. An OCR is a tool that USTR uses to 
encourage progress on IPR issues of concern and can provide an 
opportunity for heightened engagement with a trading partner to address 
and remedy such issues.

2. Written Comments

a. Requirements for Written Comments

    To facilitate the review, written comments should be as detailed as 
possible and provide information and views relevant to assessing the 
quality of the Government of India's engagement on IPR issues of 
concern, in particular those issues identified in the 2014 Special 301 
Report, including ideas on how the U.S. and Indian governments can 
enhance bilateral engagement, recommendations regarding the focus of 
such engagement, as well as the quality of engagement interested 
parties have experienced with the Government of India on IPR issues. 
Comments should focus on the time period since issuance of the 2014 
Special 301 Report in April. To the extent relevant, USTR requests that 
comments include specific references to laws, regulations, policy 
statements, or other measures that should factor in the review and 
describe engagement interested parties have had with the Government of 
India on IPR issues of concern.

b. Instructions for Submitting Comments

    Comments must be in English. To ensure the timely receipt and 
consideration of comments, USTR strongly encourages commenters to 
submit comments electronically, using the www.regulations.gov Web site. 
To submit comments via www.regulations.gov, enter Docket Number USTR-
2014-0020 on the home page and click ``Search.'' The site will provide 
a search-results page listing all documents associated with this 
docket. Find the reference to this notice and click on the link 
entitled ``Comment Now!.'' For further information on using the 
www.regulations.gov Web site, please consult the resources provided on 
the site by clicking on ``How to use Regulations.gov'' at the bottom of 
the home page under ``Help.''
    The www.regulations.gov Web site allows users to provide comments 
by filling in a ``Type Comment'' field, or by attaching a document 
using an ``Upload File'' field. USTR prefers that comments be provided 
in an attached document. If a document is attached, please type ``2014 
Out-of-Cycle Review of India'' in the ``Type Comment'' field. USTR 
prefers submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) 
format. If the submission is in another file format, please indicate 
the name of the software application in the ``Type Comment'' field. 
File names should reflect the name of the person or entity submitting 
the comments. 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 comment itself, rather than submitting them as 
separate files.
    A person requesting that information contained in a comment 
submitted by that person 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. 
In the document, confidential business information must clearly be 
designated as such; the submission must be marked ``BUSINESS 
CONFIDENTIAL'' on the cover page and each succeeding page, and the 
submission should clearly indicate, via brackets, highlighting, or 
other means, the specific information that is business

[[Page 61686]]

confidential. Additionally, the submitter should type ``Business 
Confidential 2014 Out-of-Cycle Review of India'' 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 filenames 
of both documents should reflect their status--``BC'' for the business 
confidential version and ``P'' for the public version. The non-business 
confidential version will be placed in the docket at 
www.regulations.gov and be available for public inspection.
    As noted, USTR strongly urges commenters to submit comments through 
www.regulations.gov. Any alternative arrangements must be made in 
advance of transmitting a comment and in advance of the relevant 
deadline by contacting USTR at [email protected].

3. Inspection of Comments

    Comments received 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. Comments may be viewed free of charge by visiting 
www.regulations.gov and entering Docket Number USTR-2014-0020 in the 
``Search'' field on the home page.

Susan F. Wilson,
Director for Intellectual Property and Innovation.
[FR Doc. 2014-24309 Filed 10-10-14; 8:45 am]
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