[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 222 (Thursday, November 18, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67581-67582]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-25555]


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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION


Public Workshop: Peer-to-Peer File-Sharing Technology: Consumer 
Protection and Competition Issues

AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

ACTION: Notice of Extension of Public Comment Period.

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SUMMARY: The FTC issues an amendment to its Notice Announcing Public 
Workshop and Requesting Public Comment, extending the time period 
during which persons may submit written comments on the issues to be 
addressed by the public workshop until January 18, 2005.

DATES: Comments must be received by January 18, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to ``P2P File-Sharing Workshop--
Comment, P034517'' to facilitate the organization of comments. A 
comment filed in paper form should include this reference both in the 
text and on the envelope, and should be mailed or delivered to the 
following address: Federal Trade Commission/Office of the Secretary, 
Room 159-H (Annex B), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20580. The FTC is requesting that any comment filed in paper form be 
sent by courier or overnight service, if possible, because U.S. postal 
mail in the Washington area and at the Commission is subject to delay 
due to heightened security precautions.
    Comments containing confidential material must be filed in paper 
form, must be clearly labeled ``Confidential,'' and must comply with 
Commission Rule 4.9(c). 16 CFR 4.9(c) (2004).\1\
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    \1\ Commission Rule 4.2(d), 16 CFR 4.2(d). The comment must also 
be accompanied by an explicit request for confidential treatment, 
including the factual and legal basis for the request, and must 
identify the specific portions of the comment to be withheld from 
the public record. The request will be granted or denied by the 
Commission's General Counsel, consistent with applicable law and the 
public interest. See Commission Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c).
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    Comments filed in electronic form should be submitted by clicking 
on the following weblink: https://secure.commentworks.com/ftc-p2pfilesharing/ and following the instructions on the web-based form. 
To ensure that the Commission considers an electronic comment, you must 
file it on the web-based form at the https://secure.commentworks.com/ftc-p2pfilesharing/ weblink.
    The FTC Act and other laws the Commission administers permit the 
collection of public comments to consider and use in this proceeding as 
appropriate. All timely and responsive public comments received by the 
Commission, whether filed in paper or in electronic form, will be 
considered by the Commission, and will be available to the public on 
the FTC Web site, to the extent practicable, at http://www.ftc.gov. As 
a matter of discretion, the FTC makes every effort to remove home 
contact information for individuals from public comments it receives 
before placing those comments on the FTC Web site. More information, 
including routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, may be found in 
the FTC's privacy policy, at http://www.ftc.gov/privacy.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Delaney, (202) 326-2903, 
Bureau of Consumer Protection; Theodore Gebhard, (202) 326-3699, Bureau 
of Competition; or Hajime Hadeishi, (202) 326-2320, Bureau of 
Economics. The above staff can be

[[Page 67582]]

reached by mail at: Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20580. Additional information about the workshop is 
posted on the FTC's Web site at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/filesharing/index.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background and Workshop Goals

    On December 15 and 16, 2004, the FTC is planning to host a public 
workshop, ``Peer-to-Peer File-Sharing Technology: Consumer Protection 
and Competition Issues.'' The FTC's workshop is intended to provide an 
opportunity to learn how P2P file-sharing works and to discuss current 
and future applications of the technology. It will discuss the risks to 
consumers related to file-sharing activities. The workshop also will 
address self-regulatory initiatives, technological efforts, and 
legislative proposals. It will discuss competition issues such as the 
models for distributing music and the impact of file-sharing on 
copyright holders. Questions to be addressed at the workshop are set 
forth in the Commission's Notice Announcing Public Workshop and 
Requesting Public Comment, published in the Federal Register on October 
21, 2004.

Extension of Time for Filing Comments

    The FTC is extending the time period during which public comments 
may be submitted. Interested parties may submit written comments on the 
published questions and other issues addressed by the workshop until 
January 18, 2005. Especially useful are any studies, surveys, research, 
and empirical data. All comments should be filed as prescribed in the 
ADDRESSES section above, and must be received by January 18, 2005.

    By direction of the Commission.
Donald S. Clark,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 04-25555 Filed 11-17-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750-01-M