PK’s Rashmi Rangnath Testifying at Special 301 Hearing Today
PK’s Rashmi Rangnath Testifying at Special 301 Hearing Today
PK’s Rashmi Rangnath Testifying at Special 301 Hearing Today

    Get Involved Today

    Today, Public Knowledge's Director of The Global Knowledge Initiative and Staff Attorney, Rashmi Rangnath is testifying before the US Trade Representative on the “Special 301” process. You can read her testimony here (PDF). There is not a webcast or official live coverage, per USTR rules that “prohibit the use of electronic media in its hearing room.” So, despite this ban, we are relying on reports from the hearing room via twitter (using the #ustr hashtag), and hope to bring you more coverage as well.

    If you're not familiar with the Special 301 process, the latest 5 Minutes with Harold Feld does a great job explaining what's going on. So does Rashmi's prior blog post — that encouraged so many of you to write comments to the USTR.

    Lastly, we have a link to today's hearing schedule, that tells us who is testifying and who the Special 301 committee members are (PDF) … also pasted below:

    SPECIAL 301 REVIEW  
    PUBLIC HEARING  
    
    March 3, 2010 – 9:45 a.m. 
    
    United States International Trade Commission 
    500 E St. S.W. 
    Washington, D.C. 20436 
    
    
    HEARING SCHEDULE 
    
    
    9:45 – 10:00 – OPENING REMARKS 
    
    10:00 – 10:10 – Government of Mexico 
       Salvador Behar 
       Legal Counsel for International Trade    
    
    10:10–10:20 – Government of Costa Rica  
       Suzana Vasquez 
       Ministry of Foreign Trade 
    
    10:20–10:30 – Government of Thailand  
       Chakarin Komolsiri and Jittima Srithaporn 
       Office of Commercial Affairs, Royal Thai Embassy 
    
    10:30–10:40 – Biotechnology Industry Organization  
       Lila Feisee 
    
    10:40–10:50 – National Association of Manufacturers 
       Shaun Donnelly 
    
    10:50 – 11:00 – Public Knowledge 
       Rashmi Rangnath 
    
    11:00 – 11:10 – International Intellectual Property Alliance  
       Eric Smith  
    
    11:10 – 11:20 – BREAK  
    
    11:20 – 11:30 – Doctors Without Borders  
       Emi Maclean 
    
    11:30 – 11:40 – Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) 
       Brian Toohey 
    
    11:40 – 11:50 – MLB Advanced Media, L.P. 
       Michael Mellis 
    
    11:50 – 12:00 – Oxfam America  
       Rohit Malpani 
    
    12:00 – 12:10 – Knowledge Ecology International  
       James Love 
    
    12:10 – 12:20 – Computer & Communications Industry Association 
       Matthew Schruers  
    
    12:30 – 1:30 – LUNCH 
    
    1:30 – 1:40 – Maine Citizen Trade Advisory Commission 
       Sharon Treat 
    
    1:40 – 1:50 – AIDS Access Foundation  
       Jon Ungphakorn 
    
    1:50 – 2:00 – Forum on Democracy & Trade  
       Sean Flynn 
    
    2:00 – 2:10 – National Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices (NLARx) 
       Sharon Treat 
    
    2:10 – 2:20 – Vermont Commission on International Trade and State Sovereignty  
       Robin Lunge 
    
    2:20 – 2:30 – BREAK  
    
    2:30 – 2:40 – American University Washington College of Law Program on Information 
    Justice and Intellectual Property on behalf of the AdHoc Civil Society Coalition on 
    Intellectual Property and Access to Medicines 
       Sean Flynn 
    
    2:40 – 2:50 – Universities Allied for Essential Medicines  
       Benjamin Stern 
    
    2:50 – 3:00 – Health GAP (Global Access Project)  
       Asia Russell 
    
    3:00 – 3:10 – Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property  
       Michael Palmedo 
    
    3:10 – 3:20 – Public Citizen 
    Peter Maybarduy  
    
    3:20 – 3:30 – Lawyers Collective HIV/AIDS Unit 
       Anand Grover 
    
    3:30 – 3:40 – Social Science Research Council 
       Joe Karaganis  
    
    3:30 – CLOSING REMARKS  
    
    
    POST HEARING COMMENTS 
    
    Post hearing briefs are optional and may be submitted until March 10, 2010, at 5 p.m.  
    Post hearing briefs, comments, or questions should be sent electronically via 
    http://www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2010-0003.  Submissions should 
    contain the term “2010 Special 301 Review” in the “Type comment & Upload” field on 
    www.regulations.gov.   
    
    
    SPECIAL 301 SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS 
    
    Paula Pinha (Chair) 
    Director for Intellectual Property and Innovation 
    Office of the U.S. Trade Representative 
    
    Andrea Cornwell  
    Office of Intellectual Property Rights 
    U.S. Department of Commerce 
    
    Timothy McGowan 
    Economic Officer 
    Office of Intellectual Property Enforcement 
    State Department 
    
    Stuart Chemtob 
    Special Counsel for International Trade 
    Antitrust Division 
    U.S. Department of Justice 
    
    JoEllen Urban  
    Office of International Relations  
    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office  
    
    Timothy Mills 
    International Economist 
    Department of the Treasury 
    
    Maureen M. Pettis 
    International Economist 
    Bureau of International Labor Affairs 
    Office of Trade and Labor Affairs  
    U.S. Department of Labor 
    
    Amanda Wilson 
    Counsel for Policy and International Affairs 
    U.S. Copyright Office 
    
    Therese Randazzo 
    Director, IPR Policy and Programs 
    U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
    
    Omar Karawa 
    U.S. Department of Agriculture 
    
    
    
    The Special 301 Hearing is open to the public.  Please bring picture ID and allow 20 
    minutes for security processing.  Members of the press are welcome to attend, but please 
    note that United States International Trade Commission regulations prohibit the use of 
    electronic media in its hearing room.