4/27. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted on April 25, and released on April 27, 2007, a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking [190 pages in PDF] regarding rules governing wireless licenses in the 698-806 MHz Band, which is also sometimes referred to as the 700 MHz Band, currently used by television broadcasters in channels 52-69, and which will be made available for wireless services.

This item makes rules changes, makes tentative conclusions, and seeks public comments as to unresolved matters. It addresses several proceedings -- the 700 MHz Commercial Services proceeding (see, WT Docket No. 06-150, CC Docket No. 94-102, and WT Docket No. 01-309), the 700 MHz Guard Bands proceeding (see, WT Docket Nos. 06-169 and 96-86), and the 700 MHz Public Safety proceeding (see, PS Docket No. 06-229 and WT Docket No. 96-86). See also, FCC release summarizing this item.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin explained in his separate statement [PDF] that "We need a real third broadband competitor. ... The upcoming auction presents the single most important opportunity for us to achieve this goal. Depending on how we structure the upcoming auction, we will either enable the emergence of a third broadband pipe -- one that would be available to rural as well as urban American -- or we will miss our biggest opportunity."

See also, statement [PDF] by Commissioner Michael Copps, statement [PDF] by Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, statement [PDF] by Commissioner Deborah Tate, and statement [PDF] by Commissioner Robert McDowell.

The Report and Order (R&O) portion of this item states that "With regard to the 700 MHz Commercial Services proceeding, we decide to adopt a mix of geographic license area sizes for the commercial services, including Cellular Market Areas (CMAs), Economic Areas (EAs), and Regional Economic Areas (REAGs)." (Footnotes omitted from all quotations.)

It continues that "With regard to auctions-related issues, we find that our existing competitive bidding rules do not require modification for purposes of an auction of commercial 700 MHz Band licenses. To minimize uncertainty for licensees in this band, we eliminate the rules that permit comparative hearings for license renewal and clarify the requirements and procedures of the renewal process for 700 MHz Band licensees. In addition, we shift the termination date for initial license terms from January 15, 2015, to February 17, 2019, thus giving licensees an initial term not to exceed ten years after the end of the DTV transition."

The FCC's summary further states, "With regard to radiated power limits, we generally adopt a power spectral density (PSD) model, with certain limitations, to provide greater operational flexibility to licensees operating at wider bandwidths, and we provide for higher radiated power levels for these 700 MHz Band licensees operating in rural areas. We continue to allow a 50 kW ERP level for base station operations for already auctioned licenses and for unpaired spectrum in the “Lower 700 MHz Band” (TV Channels 52-59) but conclude that we should modify such power limits for paired spectrum in that Band to match the limits adopted for the “Upper 700 MHz Band” (TV Channels 60-69) in order to better enable mobile service on that paired spectrum. In addition, in order to accommodate emerging technologies, we permit these 700 MHz licensees to meet radiated power limits on an average, rather than peak, basis."

This item states that in the 700 MHz Commercial Services proceeding, "we also modify our 911/E911 rules to remove the service- and band-specific limitations on the applicability of those requirements. As amended, these rules will apply to all commercial mobile radio services (CMRS), no matter what spectrum is employed, to the extent that a service meets the scope requirements in our current rules. Similarly, we find generally that all digital CMRS providers, including providers in the 700 MHz, Advanced Wireless Services (AWS), and the Broadband Radio Service/Educational Broadband Service (BRS/EBS) bands, along with manufacturers of handsets capable of providing such services, should be subject to our hearing aid compatibility requirements to the extent that a service satisfies the scope provision in our current rules, and we amend our rules to incorporate this finding."

This item states that in the 700 MHz Guard Bands proceeding, "we replace the current “band manager” leasing regime with the spectrum leasing policies and rules adopted in the Secondary Markets proceeding to provide Guard Band licensees and spectrum users additional flexibility to enter into spectrum leasing agreements. We also eliminate restrictions that prevented Guard Band licensees from using their spectrum as a wireless service provider and restricted their ability to lease to affiliates."

This item further states that "We propose not to alter the spectrum blocks as currently aligned in the Lower 700 MHz Band, and to license the A Block on an EA basis, the B Block on a CMA basis, and the E Block on an REAG basis. As regards the commercial spectrum in the Upper 700 MHz Band, we seek comment on several band plans, and on the appropriate sizes of the license blocks and geographic service areas for these licenses.. We also propose new performance requirements for the unauctioned commercial licenses in the 700 MHz Band based on the use of specific geographic coverage benchmarks."

It also states that "We tentatively conclude not to adopt certain proposals in connection with the 700 MHz Guard Bands spectrum, advanced by parties seeking a restructuring of the existing band plan for the Upper 700 MHz Band that would include a reallocation of the Guard Band spectrum, including the “Broadband Optimization Plan”".

With respect to public safety spectrum, this item states that "we tentatively conclude to redesignate the wideband spectrum to broadband use consistent with a nationwide interoperability standard, and to prohibit wideband operations on a going forward basis. Should we end up adopting this broadband approach, we tentatively conclude to consolidate the 700 MHz Public Safety spectrum, with the narrowband spectrum being consolidated to the top of the public safety allocation, and the broadband spectrum located at the bottom of the public safety allocation. These tentative conclusions, in conjunction with our proposal in the 700 MHz Public Safety Ninth Further Notice to establish a national public safety licensee, further our efforts to establish nationwide interoperable wireless broadband for public safety."

This item also seeks public comment of the proposal of Frontline Wireless. It states that "While we have an extensive record on many of the issues raised by Frontline, such as the appropriate size of spectrum blocks, we do not have a record on some of the significant service rule changes Frontline proposes that we adopt for a commercial spectrum block that would be located just adjacent to the current 700 MHz Guard Band B Block. We seek comment on aspects and implications of the Frontline proposal to establish such a record."

Frontline stated in a release that it has requested that the FCC "license a 10 MHz block of 700 MHz commercial spectrum -- the E Block -- under the license condition that the auction winner would build a nationwide infrastructure to support the public safety broadband network. The proposal would require that the licensee provide service on a wholesale basis, operate the network under open access principles and offer roaming to requesting carriers."

Frontline CEO Haynes Griffin stated in this release that "There is still time for the FCC to do the right thing to meet the needs of public safety users for interoperability and of commercial users for innovation, choice and competition ... But unfortunately it remains unclear whether the FCC will seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity of this auction to meet these critical needs."

This item is FCC 07-72 in WT Docket No. 06-150, CC Docket No. 94-102, WT Docket No. 01-309, WT Docket No. 03-264, WT Docket No. 06-169, PS Docket No. 06-229, WT Docket No. 96-86.

Comments in response to the FNPRM portion of this item will be due within 21 days after publication of notice in the Federal Register, which publication has not yet occurred. Reply comments will be due within 28 days of such publication.

4/27. US President George Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met at the White House and Camp David on April 26 and 27, 2007. The held a news conference on April 27. President Bush stated that "The alliance between Japan and the United States has never been stronger." See, transcript.

The two discussed, among other topics, the World Trade Organization (WTO), ongoing Doha round trade negotiations, intellectual property rights, trade between the US and Japan, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

President Bush stated that "Shinzo and I talked about trade and the Doha round. We have a lot of bilateral trade between our two nations. Last year it totaled more than $270 billion, and that's positive for the American people and the people of Japan. Any time you have a lot of trade, there's always complicated trade issues. One such issue, of course, I brought up to the Prime Minister is I'm absolutely convinced the Japanese people will be better off when they eat American beef. It's good beef, it's healthy beef; as a matter of fact, I'm going to feed the Prime Minister and his delegation a good hamburger today for lunch."

He continued, "But we also talked about the World Trade Organization and the Doha round, and how Japan wants to be constructive in getting this round completed, not only to enhance the prosperity in our own countries, but to help the developing world -- help lift millions of people out of poverty."

Prime Minister Abe said "With regard to the economy, I told the President that I'm determined to carry it through, structural reforms in Japan, because Japan's growth is important for the growth of the United States as well as the entire world. And I received strong words of support from the President for this direction that Japan is seeking."

The White House press office issued a release that states that "President Bush and Prime Minister Abe reiterated their strong commitment to the Doha Round and agreed to demonstrate leadership to secure a successful outcome that will stimulate growth and development by creating new trade."

This release also states that the two "endorsed enhanced bilateral efforts to promote and protect intellectual property rights, strengthen energy security, make trade flows more secure and more efficient, and increase the transparency of government regulatory processes." It also states that the two "welcomed the progress being made by U.S. and Japanese officials in sharing information on each nation’s Free Trade Agreements and Economic Partnership Agreements with third countries."

It also states that the two "confirmed APEC's role as a leading forum for shaping the future of the Asia-Pacific region and pledged their robust support for APEC’s efforts to accelerate trans-Pacific economic integration, including a possible Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific as a long-term prospect."

Several Bush administration officials held a news conference on the morning of April 25, 2007, regarding Prime Minister Abe's visit. See, transcript.

The Department of State announced in a release that "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates will hold a meeting of the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee (informally known as the 2+2 Ministerial) on Tuesday May 1, 2007 at the Department of State with their Japanese counterparts, Foreign Minister Taro Aso and Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma."

4/26. Susan Schwab, head of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (OUSTR), wrote a short piece titled "Stronger Enforcement, Better Intellectual Property Rules Needed", which was also published in the Department of State web site, and in the April 26, 2007, issue of Investors Business Daily.

She wrote that "Strong protection and enforcement of intellectual property is critical to a knowledge-driven global economy, and securing it requires a dynamic trade policy."

Schwab (at right) continued that "One visible part of that policy is enforcing minimum standards of protection required under the basic intellectual-property rules subscribed to by every member of the World Trade Organization. Earlier this month, the United States requested WTO consultations with China in an effort to resolve concerns that China is not living up to some of those minimum standards."

She added that "a trade policy that only focused on getting trading partners to do the minimum required under WTO rules would be the very opposite of dynamic. To thwart the thieves, we must work with trading partners in developed and developing countries to clear a path toward better rules, and enforcement that is effective and in step with today's challenges."

"The U.S. free trade agreements negotiated under the congressionally granted Trade Promotion Authority are the leading edge of a dynamic U.S. trade policy for intellectual-property rights. U.S. free trade agreements are raising the standards of IP protection and enforcement among key trading partners to the highest levels and are delivering broad and deep improvements", said Schwab.

The OUSTR's annual Special 301 report on other countries' intellectual property protection and enforcement is scheduled to be released on Monday, April 30, 2007.

4/26. Jack Valenti died. He was previously the President of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for 38 years. In recent years, he was a leading advocate in Washington DC for protecting copyrighted digital works from unauthorized copying.

Dan Glickman, Valenti's successor as head of the MPAA, stated in a release [PDF] that Valenti was "a passionate champion of American cinema and artistic freedom. ... He was the visionary who created the voluntary movie ratings system that has stood the test of time, both safeguarding our nation's filmmakers from censorship and providing parents with an unparalleled resource to use with their children. He ushered the movies into the digital era and condemned intellectual property theft."

Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee's (HJC) Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property, stated in a release that "Jack Valenti was the personification of the motion picture industry in Washington. I can't think of another industry that has had a representative so well known and so highly regarded, or one so accessible in spite of  his considerable fame. A call to Jack was often returned from Geneva, or China, or Cannes, but it was always returned within hours. He was much more, though, than a lobbyist. He had an intense interest in public policy and a wisdom about him that made him an extraordinarily valuable counselor to presidents, to Congressmen and Senators and to his peers and colleagues. He was a great man with a charm and wit that won him genuine affection as well as near universal admiration."

Kyle McSlarrow, head of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), stated in a release that "Jack Valenti was a larger than life figure who brought passion, integrity and wit to every one of his endeavors. He was and will remain the gold standard for effective advocacy, whatever the cause."

Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig, who appeared opposite Valenti at Congressional hearings and public debates, stated in his web site that "Our positions on many things could not be more different, though we shared certain, fundamental values. It took him 10 seconds to agree to endorse Creative Commons at our launch."

Gary Shapiro, head of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), also opposed Valenti on many intellectual property related issues. Shapiro praised Valenti in a release for his "personal warmth and wit", and for being "a passionate defender of the First Amendment".

David Rehr, head of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), stated in a release that "Jack's unparalleled advocacy for the motion picture industry was matched only by his innate decency as a person. Broadcasters have lost a First Amendment freedom fighter, and America has lost the most gifted public speaker of his generation."

Rep. Hoyer's weekly calendar [PDF] states that "No votes are expected in the House."

12:00 PM. Sen. Bob Bennett (R-UT) and Rep. Phil English (R-PA) will speak at an event titled "Creating A Barrier-Free Transatlantic Market". For more information, contact Peter Hickman at 301-530-1210 or 202-662-7540. Location: 13th floor, National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW.

12:15 - 1:30 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Wireless Committee will host a luncheon panel discussion titled "Meet the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Chief". The speaker will be Fred Campbell. See, registration form [PDF]. The price to attend is $15. The deadline for registrations and cancellations is 12:00 NOON on April 26. Location: Latham & Watkins, 10th floor, 555 11th St., NW.

An annual US-EU summit will be held in Washington DC. President Bush will meet with European Council President Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. See, White House release.

6:00 - 8:15 PM. The DC Bar Association will host a continuing legal education (CLE) seminar titled "The Ethics of E-mails". The speaker will be Thomas Spahn (McGuire Woods). The price to attend ranges from $80 to $115. For more information, call 202-626-3488. See, notice. Location: DC Bar Conference Center, 1250 H St NW B-1 Level.

Deadline to submit applications and nominations for membership on the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC). See, notice in the Federal Register, March 15, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 50, at Page 12264.

The House will meet at 10:30 AM for morning hour and at 12:00 PM for legislative business. The House will consider numerous non-technology related items under suspension of the rules. The House may also vote on an Iraq related matter. See, Rep. Hoyer's weekly calendar [PDF].

9:00 AM. Greg Garcia, Assistant Secretary for Cyber Security and Communications at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will speak at a joint meeting of the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) and the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC). Location: The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City, 1250 South Hayes St., Arlington, VA.

10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold a hearing titled "Process Patents". The witnesses will be Wayne Herrington (Assistant General Counsel, U.S. International Trade Commission), John Thomas (Georgetown University Law Center), Mike Kirk (Executive Director, American Intellectual Property Law Association), and Christopher Cotropia (Richmond School of Law). See, notice. Location: Room 226, Dirsksen Building.

12:30 PM. The House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing titled "The Future of Political, Economic and Security Relations with China". The witness will be John Negraponte, Deputy Secretary of State. See, notice. Location: Room 2172 Rayburn Building.

1:00 PM. The House Judiciary Committee's (HJC) Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security will hold a hearing on HR 1525, the "Internet Spyware (I-SPY) Prevention Act of 2007". See, notice. Location: Room 2141, Rayburn Building.

1:00 - 5:00 PM. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Antitrust Division will hold another of their long running series of workshops on single firm conduct and Section 2 of the Sherman Act. The FTC and DOJ also announced that this is the "second-to-last panel". The speakers will be William Baer (Arnold & Porter), Jonathan Baker (American University law school), Stephen Calkins (Wayne State University Law School), Einer Elhauge (Harvard Law School), Jonathan Jacobson (Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati), William Kolasky (Wilmer Hale), Thomas Krattenmaker (Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati), Janet McDavid (Hogan & Hartson), and Robert Willig (Princeton University). See, FTC notice. Location: FTC Conference Center, Room A, 601 New Jersey Ave., NW.

2:30 PM. The House Rules Committee will meet to adopt a rule for consideration of HR 1867, the "National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2007", and HR 1868, the "Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act of 2007". Location: Room H-313, Capitol Building.

The House will meet at 10:00 AM for legislative business. It may consider HR 1867, the "National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2007", and HR 1868, the "Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act of 2007", subject to rules. See, Rep. Hoyer's weekly calendar [PDF].

9:00 AM. Leslie Burger, President of the American Library Association (ALA), will give a speech titled "Libraries, Politics and National Security". For more information, contact Michael Doyle at 202-383-0006 or mdoyle at mcclatchydc dot com, or Andy Bridges at 202-628-8410 x 8208 or abridges at alawash dot org. Location: Zenger Room, National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW.

9:15 AM. The European Institute's Roundtable on Telecommunications, Information Technology and Media Policies will host a breakfast meeting titled "Transatlantic Cooperation on Cyber Security". The speaker will be Hugo Teufel, Chief Privacy Officer of the Department of Homeland Security. Location: Cosmopolitan Club, Powell Room, 2121 Massachusetts Ave., NW.

10:00 AM. The Senate Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism will hold a hearing titled "U.S. Trade Relations with China". Location: Room 253, Russell Building.

4:00 PM. The Senate Commerce Committee's (SCC) Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Innovation will hold a hearing titled "2006 Nobel Laureates". See, notice. Location: Room 253, Russell Building.

The House will meet at 10:00 AM for legislative business. It may consider HR 1867, the "National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2007", and HR 1868, the "Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act of 2007", subject to rules. See, Rep. Hoyer's weekly calendar [PDF].

10:00 AM. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing titled "The Internet: A Portal to Violent Islamist Extremism". See, notice. Location: Room 342, Dirksen Building.

10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) may hold an executive business meeting. The agenda includes consideration of S 495, the "Personal Data Privacy and Security Act of 2007", S 239, the "Notification of Risk to Personal Data Act of 2007", and S 1202, a bill to require agencies and persons in possession of computerized data containing sensitive personal information to disclose security breaches where such breach poses a significant risk of identity theft. The agenda also includes consideration of several judicial nominees: Debra Ann Livingston (to be a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circiut), Roslynn Renee Mauskopf (U.S.D.C., Eastern District of New York), Richard Joseph Sullivan (U.S.D.C. Southern District of New York), and Joseph Van Bokkelen (U.S.D.C., Northern District of Indiana). The SJC rarely follows its published agenda. See, notice. Press contact: Tracy Schmaler at 202-224-2154 or Tracy_Schmaler at judiciary dot senate dot gov. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. The National Science Foundation's (NDF) Advisory Committee for Cyberinfrastructure will meet.. See, notice in the Federal Register, March 30, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 61, at Page 15170. Location: 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 1235, Arlington, VA.

2:00 - 4:00 PM. The Department of State's (DOS) International Telecommunication Advisory Committee (ITAC) will hold the first of a series of three meeting to prepare advice for the next meetings of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Working Parties on the Information Economy (WPIE) and Communications and Infrastructure Services Policy (CISP). See, notice in the Federal Register, April 5, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 65, at Page 16868. Location: Room 2533a, Harry Truman Building, 2201 C St., NW.

? 2:00 PM. The Department of State's (DOS) International Telecommunication Advisory Committee (ITAC) will hold the first of a series of three teleconferences to prepare advice for the next meeting of the International Telecommunication Union's Study Group 9 (Integrated broadband cable networks and television and sound transmission). See, notice in the Federal Register, April 5, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 65, at Page 16868.

Deadline to submit initial comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) [53 pages in PDF] in its proceeding titled "In the Matter of Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year 2007". This NPRM is FCC 07-55 in MD Docket No. 07-81.

Rep. Hoyer's weekly calendar [PDF] states that "No votes are expected in the House."

9:00 AM. The National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) will host a meeting titled "Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) Test Materials for the United States Government". See, notice in the Federal Register, April 17, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 73, at Pages 19178-19179. Location: NIST Administration Building, 100 Bureau Drive, Lecture Room B, Gaithersburg, MD.

9:30 AM - 2:00 PM. The Progress and Freedom Foundation (PFF) will host a convention titled "2nd Annual Internet Security Summit". See, PFF notice, and agenda and registration page. For more information, contact Amy Smorodin at 202-289-8928. A continental breakfast and lunch will be served. Location: Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM. The National Science Foundation's (NDF) Advisory Committee for Cyberinfrastructure will meet.. See, notice in the Federal Register, March 30, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 61, at Page 15170. Location: 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 1235, Arlington, VA.

3:00 - 5:00 PM. The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Advisory Committee of International Science and Engineering will meet to provide advice concerning the NSF programs in international science and engineering. See, notice in the Federal Register, April 13, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 71, at Pages 18690-18691. Location: NSF, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 950, Arlington, VA.

Deadline to submit comments to the Copyright Office regarding its proposed rules changes regarding applications for registration of claims to the renewal term of copyright. See, notice in the Federal Register, April 4, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 64, at Pages 16306-16311.

TIME? The Department of Defense's (DOD) Defense Science Board Task Force on Integrating Sensor-Collected Intelligence will hold another of its closed sessions regarding intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems. See, notice in the Federal Register, April 2, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 62, at Page 15659. Location: Science Applications International Corporation, 4001 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA.

Deadline to submit applications to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to participate in its rural health care pilot subsidy program. See, FCC Public Notice [PDF] (DA 07-1188).

Deadlines to submit comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (OUSTR) regarding its complaint filed with the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding the People's Republic of China's (PRC) failure to fulfill its treaty obligations regarding the protection of intellectual property rights. See, notice in the Federal Register, April 23, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 77, at Pages 20144-20146, and notice in the Federal Register, April 23, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 77, at Pages 20143-20144.

4/26. Federal Reserve Board (FRB) Governor Frederic Mishkin gave a speech at an International Monetary Fund (IMF) conference in Washington DC, on April 26, 2007, titled "Globalization and Financial Development". He advocated strong property rights, efficient legal systems, elimination of government corruption, high quality financial information, regulation of corporate management, and regulation of the banking sector. He also advocated free trade in goods, and open financial markets. However, he was otherwise silent on trade in services, and had nothing to say about protection of intellectual property.

4/26. The General Accounting Office (GAO) released a report [70 pages in PDF] titled "Intellectual Property: Better Data Analysis and Integration Could Help U.S. Customs and Border Protection Improve Border Enforcement Efforts". The report states that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) "undertakes a series of steps to enforce IP rights at the U.S. border", including "targeting suspicious shipments". The report states that CBP uses "computer-based targeting to electronically identify commercial shipments by known or suspected violators, which typically enter the country via sea, air, and truck. However, the primary computer method used for IP targeting does not work for noncommercial shipments, has limited usefulness in express consignment (e.g., Federal Express) and international mail processing environments, and has uncovered a relatively small portion of IP violations." (Parentheses in original.) The report adds that the impact of manual targeting "in uncovering IP violations cannot be determined". The report finds that "CBP lacks an integrated approach across key offices for further improving border enforcement outcomes, causing it to focus on certain efforts that have produced limited results while not taking initiative to understand and address the variations among ports’ enforcement outcomes."

4/26. The General Accounting Office (GAO) released a report [43 pages in PDF] titled "Information Technology: DHS Needs to Fully Define and Implement Policies and Procedures for Effectively Managing Investments".

4/30. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published in the Federal Register its semiannual regulatory agenda, titled in full "Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions -- Spring 2007". This agenda lists open proceedings, including inactive proceedings. See, Federal Register, April 30, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 82, at Pages 23466-23529.

4/30. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published in the Federal Register its semiannual regulatory agenda. See, Federal Register, April 30, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 82, at Pages 23568-23580.

4/30. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published in the Federal Register its semiannual regulatory agenda. See, Federal Register, April 30, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 82, at Pages 22574-22674.

4/30. The Department of Justice (DOJ) published in the Federal Register its semiannual regulatory agenda. See, Federal Register, April 30, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 82, at Pages 22774-22823.

4/30. The National Science Foundation (NSF) published in the Federal Register its semiannual regulatory agenda. See, Federal Register, April 30, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 82, at Page 23342.

4/30. The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) published in the Federal Register its semiannual regulatory agenda. See, Federal Register, April 30, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 82, at Page 23394.

4/30. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published in the Federal Register its semiannual regulatory agenda. See, Federal Register, April 30, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 82, at Pages 23616-23640.

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