U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has announced that a Washington state woman who sold counterfeit, imported exercise equipment on the Internet was sentenced to 30 days in federal prison and a $64,500 fine following an ICE investigation. ICE notes that the woman lied to her customs broker about the products and mislead buyers as to the authenticity of the product.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) are seeking public comment on the challenges of protecting copyrighted works online and the relationship between copyright law and innovation in the Internet economy, as part of the Commerce Department’s Internet Policy Task Force examination of issues related to the global free flow of information on the Internet. Comments are due by November 19, 2010.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is publishing additional identifying information associated with the eight individuals listed in the Annex to the Executive Order of September 28, 2010, “Blocking Property of Certain Persons with Respect to Serious Human Rights Abuses by the Government of Iran and Taking Certain Other Actions,” whose property and interests in property are therefore blocked.
The Government Accountability Office has issued a report which finds that while the U.S. has made progress with international and industry partners in countering piracy off the Horn of Africa, more U.S. government and international partner actions are needed.
The Foreign Agriculture Service issued the following GAIN reports:
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is publishing the names of one individual whose property and interests in property has been unblocked pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, effective September 29, 2010.
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy are announcing a public conference call on October 13, 2010 in which officials will provide a progress update on the EPA/DOE Partnership on Energy Efficiency in Buildings and Products, which is intended to drive greater efficiency for U.S. consumers by enhancing the ENERGY STAR® program and driving greater efficiency in homes and buildings. The agencies will offer stakeholders the opportunity to ask questions and share feedback.
The State Department, World Health Organization, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recently issued the following travel warnings, travel alerts, country specific information sheets, and disease outbreak-related information:
The Department of Homeland Security announces that the National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) will meet on October 19, 2010. The agenda includes deliberation on a framework for establishing critical infrastructure resilience goals; and optimization of resources for mitigating infrastructure disruptions.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service announces that the USDA Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety and the Food and Drug Administration are sponsoring a public meeting on November 2, 2010 to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions that will be discussed at the 42nd Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which will be held in Kampala, Uganda, from November 29 through December 3, 2010.