On July 29, 2008, WTO Director-General Lamy announced that ministers have failed in their effort to agree on blueprint Doha agreements in agriculture and industrial products. Out of 20 topics, convergence was reached on18 but the gaps could not narrow on the 19th - the special safeguard mechanism in farm products for developing countries. Nevertheless, the results represent twice or three times more than has been achieved in any previous multilateral negotiation, and this collapse does not mean the end of the Doha Round. (WTO release, dated 07/29/08, available at http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news08_e/meet08_summary_29july_e.htm)
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a notice reminding applicants and registered patent practitioners that the export of subject matter abroad pursuant to a license from the USPTO, such as a foreign filing license, is limited to purposes related to the filing of foreign patent applications.
The World Trade Organization provided an update on the Doha Round and posted information on Day 3. WTO Director-General Lamy said that "two days of talks among 30 representative ministers in the "Green Room" have been constructive but discussions in smaller groups are now needed to intensify the negotiations." (WTO press release, dated 07/23/08, available athttp://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news08_e/meet08_summary_23july_e.htm.)
Democratic leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee questioned whether the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) knowingly allowed drugs suspected of being fraudulently approved and manufactured in gross violation of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to continue being sold by Ranbaxy, Inc., in the U.S. (News release, dated 07/17/08, available at http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_110/110nr318.shtml.)
On June 23, 2008, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported S. 3182, the fiscal year 2009 appropriations bill for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, science, and related agencies.
On July 14, 2008, the House of Representatives passed H. Res. 1182, to express the sense of the House that American flags flown on Federal Government buildings and on Federal property be made in the U.S. (Congressional Record, dated 07/14/08, available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r110:@FIELD(FLD003d)@FIELD(DDATE20080714).)
World Trade Organization Director-General Lamy has said that revised Doha negotiating texts in agriculture and industrial goods trade released on July 10, 2008 have helped prepare the ground for crucial Doha Development Round negotiations in those areas in the days ahead. (WTO release no. 536, dated 07/10/08, available at http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres08_e/pr536_e.htm; USTR statement on revised Doha texts (dated 07/10/08) available at http://www.ustr.gov/assets/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2008/July/asset_upload_file47_15002.pdf )
The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a press release announcing that at the request of the U.S. Navy, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), it will assess the scope and impact of counterfeit electronics on U.S. supply chain integrity, defense readiness, and industrial capabilities. Military and related industrial supply chains are vulnerable to counterfeit electronics which, if undetected, can cause the malfunction and failure of defense systems and critical civilian infrastructure.
On July 10, 2008, the Senate Appropriations Committee ordered favorably reported a bill to make fiscal year 2009 appropriations for the Department of Transportation, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies. (Congressional Record, dated 07/10/08, available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r110:@FIELD(FLD003d)@FIELD(DDATE20080710)
On July 8, 2008, the House agreed to the Senate's version of H.R. 802, the Maritime Pollution Prevention Act of 2008, which would require the Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency to prescribe regulations to implement vessel air emission standards and requirements that are outlined under Annex VI to the MARPOL Convention. This clears the measure for the President. (Congressional Record, dated 07/08/08, available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r110:@FIELD(FLD003d)@FIELD(DDATE20080708))