Department of Commerce February 9, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Accurate information is vital to NMFS' efforts to manage highly migratory species (HMS). In an effort to improve the accuracy of recreational billfish and swordfish landings data, NMFS will pilot test a new catch card program in Puerto Rico in 2011. Recreational HMS Angling category, HMS Charter Headboat category, and General category (participating in a tournament) permit holders will be asked to affix a landings tag to all billfish and swordfish prior to removal from the vessel. Tags will be readily available at most fishing locations where billfish and swordfish are landed. In exchange for the tag, HMS recreational permit holders will be asked to fill out a catch card documenting their landing. If the pilot catch card program is successful, NMFS may consider long-term implementation in place of the current reporting system.

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

On October 1, 2010, the Department of Commerce (the Department) initiated the third sunset reviews of the antidumping duty orders on carbon steel butt-weld pipe fittings from Brazil, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and the People's Republic of China (PRC), pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). See Initiation of Five-Year (``Sunset'') Review, 75 FR 60731 (October 1, 2010) (Notice of Initiation). The Department has conducted expedited (120-day) sunset reviews of these orders. As a result of these sunset reviews, the Department finds that revocation of the antidumping duty orders would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping as indicated in the ``Final Results of Reviews'' section of this notice.

These supplementary guidelines are intended to assist United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office) personnel in the examination of claims in patent applications for compliance with 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph, which requires that claims particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter that applicant regards as his or her invention. In addition, supplemental information is provided to assist Office personnel in the examination of claims that contain functional language for compliance with 35 U.S.C. 112, especially computer-implemented invention claims. The guidelines also include information to assist Office personnel in the examination of dependent claims for compliance with 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph. The guidelines are a supplement to the current provisions in the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) pertaining to 35 U.S.C. 112, and the current provisions in the MPEP pertaining to 35 U.S.C. 112 remain in effect except as where indicated in these guidelines.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) amends the Export Administration Regulations to implement a mandatory on-line registration process for obtaining an account to submit license applications and similar documents electronically through SNAP-R. This final rule sets forth the information that parties registering on-line are required to provide to BIS and the duties that registered parties have with respect to keeping information in their accounts current. This rulemaking is consistent with the goals and principles of Executive Orders 13563 and 12866, which are to enhance effectiveness and efficiency and to promote transparency and openness in government, and the Presidential Memorandum on Regulatory Flexibility, Small Business, and Job Creation (January 18, 2011).