[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