Department of Commerce April 7, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In response to requests from Tehran Negah Nima Trading Company, Inc., trading as Nima Trading Company, Inc. (Nima), an exporter of subject merchandise, California Pistachio Commission (petitioner), and Cal Pure Pistachios, Inc. (Cal Pure), an interested party to this proceeding, the U.S. Department of Commerce (the Department) initiated an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain in-shell raw pistachios (pistachios) from Iran. No other interested party requested a review of Nima. The period of review (POR) is July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2004. For the reasons discussed below, the Department is rescinding this administrative review.

On November 17, 2004, the Department of Commerce (``Department'') published an Amended Final Determination in Accordance with Court Decision of the Antidumping Duty Investigation of Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip in Coils From Taiwan, 69 FR 67311 (November 17, 2004) (``Amended Final Determination''). In the Amended Final Determination, the Department announced the incorrect effective date of the exclusion from the antidumping duty order on stainless steel sheet and strip in coils from Taiwan with respect to entries from Tung Mung Development Corporation (``Tung Mung'').

The Department of Commerce is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on stainless steel bar from Italy. The period of review is March 1, 2003, through February 29, 2004. This review covers imports of stainless steel bar from one producer/ exporter. We have preliminarily found that the respondent in this review did not make shipments of subject merchandise to the United States during the period of review and, therefore, we are preliminarily rescinding this administrative review. In addition, the Department of Commerce has received information sufficient to warrant a successor-in- interest analysis. Based on this information, we preliminarily find that UGITECH S.A. is the successor-in-interest to Ugine-Savoie Imphy S.A. for purposes of determining antidumping duty liability. We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results. We will issue the final results not later than 120 days from the date of publication of this notice.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Ad Hoc Allocation Committee (Committee) will hold a working meeting, which is open to the public.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office) proposes to amend its rules to permit an applicant using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) to file a trademark or service mark application for registration on the Principal Register under section 1 and/or 44 of the Act to pay a reduced fee under certain circumstances. The Office proposes to offer a reduced fee to TEAS applicants if the application meets certain filing requirements beyond those required to receive a filing date. The applicant must also respond to Office actions within two months of the mailing date, file communications regarding the application through TEAS, and agree to receive communications concerning the application by electronic mail (e-mail). TEAS applications that qualify for the reduced fee option will be referred to as ``TEAS Plus'' applications. The reduced fee option will not apply to applications filed pursuant to section 66(a) of the Act because they cannot be filed through TEAS.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) and NMFS intend to prepare a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (DSEIS) in support of a proposed Amendment to Extend the Charter Vessel/Headboat Permit Moratorium (Moratorium Amendment). The DSEIS will evaluate alternatives for allowing the permit moratorium to expire, extending the moratorium for a finite time period, or establishing a permanent limited access program. The purpose of this notice of intent is to solicit public comments on the range of alternatives and scope of issues to be addressed in the DSEIS.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office) is proposing changes to the rules of practice concerning persons acting with limited recognition in a patent matter, the filing of the English translation of foreign-language provisional applications, and the submission of evidence ownership when an assignee takes action in a patent matter. The Office is proposing changes to the rules of practice to allow a person acting with limited recognition to be given a power of attorney and authorized to sign amendments and other correspondence respecting patent applications, reexamination proceedings, and other proceedings. A person granted limited recognition is not a registered patent attorney or agent. The Office is also proposing changes to the rules of practice to require that a copy of the English translation of a foreign-language provisional application be filed in the provisional application (rather than in either the provisional application or the nonprovisional application) if a non-provisional application claims the benefit of the provisional application. In addition, the Office is proposing changes to require that a copy of documentary evidence of ownership be recorded in the Office's assignment records when an assignee takes action in a patent matter, and that separate copies of a document be submitted to the Office for recording in the Office's assignment records, each accompanied by a cover sheet, if the document to be recorded includes an interest in, or a transaction involving, both patents and trademarks.