Department of Commerce January 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (``USPTO'' or ``Office'') published a notice of proposed rulemaking to change the rules of practice to implement Title I of the Patent Law Treaties Implementation Act of 2012 (``PLTIA''). Title I of the PLTIA amends the patent laws to implement the provisions of the 1999 Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement and is to take effect on the entry in force of the Hague Agreement with respect to the United States. On January 14, 2014, the Office conducted a public forum at the Alexandria, Virginia headquarters to discuss the proposed rules. The USPTO is extending the comment period in order to provide interested members of the public with additional time to submit written comments to the USPTO.

NMFS issues regulations to implement Amendment 89 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA groundfish FMP) and revise regulations governing the configuration of modified nonpelagic trawl gear. First, this rule establishes a protection area in Marmot Bay, northeast of Kodiak Island, and closes that area to fishing with trawl gear except for directed fishing for pollock with pelagic trawl gear. The closure will reduce bycatch of Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi) in Gulf of Alaska (GOA) groundfish fisheries. Second, this rule requires that nonpelagic trawl gear used in the directed flatfish fisheries in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA be modified to raise portions of the gear off the sea floor. The modifications to nonpelagic trawl gear used in these fisheries will reduce the unobserved injury and mortality of Tanner crab, and will reduce the potential adverse impacts of nonpelagic trawl gear on bottom habitat. Finally, this rule makes a minor technical revision to the modified nonpelagic trawl gear construction regulations to facilitate gear construction for those vessels required to use modified nonpelagic trawl gear in the GOA and Bering Sea groundfish fisheries. This rule is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the GOA groundfish FMP, and other applicable law.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold meetings of the Administrative Policy, Outreach and Education, Shrimp, Sustainable Fisheries/Ecosystem, Reef Fish, Mackerel, and Gulf SEDAR Management Committees; and a meeting of the Full Council. The Council will also hold an informal public question and answer session regarding agenda items and a formal public comment session.

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.

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.

Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the Sanctuary System Business Advisory Council. The meeting is open to the public, and participants may provide comments at the appropriate time during the meeting.

The Department of Commerce (Department) has determined the allocation for Calendar Year 2014 of imports of certain worsted wool fabrics under tariff rate quotas established by Title V of the Trade and Development Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-200), as amended by the Trade Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-210), the Miscellaneous Trade Act of 2004 (Public law 108-249), and the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-280), and further amended pursuant to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-343). The companies that are being provided an allocation are listed below.

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, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

In accordance with regulations implementing of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) has been issued to the California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) to take small numbers of California sea lions, Pacific harbor seals, harbor porpoises, and gray whales, by harassment, incidental to construction of a replacement bridge for the East Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (SF-OBB) in California.

NMFS establishes the annual harvest guideline for the commercial lobster fishery in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands for calendar year 2014 at zero lobsters.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of a meeting of the Environmental Technologies Trade Advisory Committee (ETTAC).

NMFS is proposing regulations under the Tuna Conventions Act to implement Resolution C-13-02 of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC or the Commission) by specifying limits on U.S. commercial catch of Pacific bluefin tuna from the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) waters of the IATTC Convention Area in 2014. This action is necessary for the United States to satisfy its obligations as a member of the IATTC.

As a result of the determinations by the Department of Commerce (the ``Department'') and the International Trade Commission (the ``ITC'') that revocation of the antidumping duty order on certain steel nails (``nails'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') would likely lead to a continuation or recurrence of dumping and material injury to an industry in the United States, the Department is publishing a notice of continuation of the antidumping duty order.

The SEDAR Steering Committee will meet via webinar. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

Notice is hereby given that The Pacific Whale Foundation [Responsible Party: Gregory Kaufman], 300 Maalaea Road, Suite 211, Wailuku, HI 96793, has applied for an amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 16479-01.

Notice is hereby given that a permit has been issued to Sea Life Park Hawaii, 41-202 Kalanianaole Highway, Waimanalo, HI 96795 (Jerry Pupillo, Responsible Party), to maintain non-releasable Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi) in captivity for enhancement purposes.

On August 16, 2013, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published the Preliminary Results of the 2011-2012 administrative review of the antidumping duty order on Polyethylene Terephthalate Film, Sheet, and Strip (PET film) from Brazil.\1\ This review covers one respondent, Terphane Ltda., and Terphane's U.S. affiliate, Terphane, Inc. (collectively, Terphane). The petitioners in this proceeding are Mitsubishi Polyester Film, Inc. and SKC, Inc. (collectively, Petitioners). For these final results of review we continue to find that Terphane had no reviewable entries of PET film subject to the order.

On September 3, 2013, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') initiated the first five-year (``sunset'') review of the antidumping duty order on steel wire garment hangers from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (``the Act''). On the basis of a notice of intent to participate and an adequate substantive response filed on behalf of the domestic interested parties, as well as a lack of response from respondent interested parties, the Department conducted an expedited sunset review of the antidumping duty order, pursuant to section 751(c)(3)(B) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.218(e)(1)(ii)(C)(2). As a result of this sunset review, the Department finds that revocation of the antidumping duty order on steel wire garment hangers from the PRC would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping at the levels indicated in the ``Final Results of Review'' section of this notice.