On Jan. 25, 2012, the European Commission first published a proposed draft General Data Protection Regulation (the “Proposed Regulation”). Almost one year later, the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committee (the European Parliament’s lead committee considering the Proposed Regulation) issued suggested amendments to the original proposal (the "Draft Report") and reignited discussion and … Continue Reading
The 113th Congress has begun it’s first session and, as is the usual procedure at the start of a new Congress, new chairpersons have been selected for most of the House and Senate Committees. Among these new chairs is Representive Lamar S. Smith (R-TX-21st), Chair of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. Much of the … Continue Reading
Today’s Federal Register carries a notice from the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) requesting information and comments regarding silver nanoparticles. NIOSH has initiated an evaluation of the scientific data on silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to ascertain the potential health risks to workers and to identify gaps in knowledge so that appropriate laboratory and field … Continue Reading
It’s that time of year – crowded shopping centers, festive gatherings, and time with family both near and far. For employers the holidays create increased risk of employer liability – which may result in legal problems for those that are unprepared. Members of our Labor and Employment practice publish the Employer Law Report, which … Continue Reading
In a recent decision, a court in the Southern District of Ohio denied a motion to compel the plaintiff in an employment discrimination action to give the defendants her user names and passwords for each of the social media sites she uses. In Howell v. The Buckeye Ranch, Case No. 2:11-cv-1014 (S. D. Ohio Oct. 1, … Continue Reading
As engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) become increasingly common in consumer products and the environment, concern over their possible effects on human health also rises. There is concern over the possible penetration of human skin by ENPs. "However, the evidence whether nanoparticles can infiltrate into underlying tissues is conflicting . . . clarification of the issue is essential. … Continue Reading
In a recent decision, Costco Wholesale Corporation (NLRB Case No. 34-CA-012421), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) considered a social media policy for the first time. The NLRB invalidated portions of Costco's policies and in doing so signaled that it will probably track closely with the General Counsel's guidance when reviewing social media policies.
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In a notice that appeared in last Thursday’s Federal Register, the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO), announced that it would be hosting a webinar on Nano.gov on Thursday 09/20/2012, from 12:15 until 1PM. " NNCO is seeking public comment and recommendations on potential updates to, improvements on, and opportunities for public engagement through Nano.gov." The webinar … Continue Reading
We wanted to take a moment and share our latest Porter Wright blog with you — the Oil & Gas Law Report is designed for readers to quickly and easily learn about the latest legal developments affecting producers, investors, transporters, land owners, and governing organizations. It is prepared by members of Porter Wright’s Oil & Gas … Continue Reading
Rice University, located in the city of Houston, Texas, is observing it’s 100th anniversary in October of this year, and many of the Texan members of the US House of Representives have made congratulatory remarks on the floor of the House or have inserted them in the Congressional Record Extension of Remarks.In their remarks, Rep. John Culbertson (R-7th) and … Continue Reading
On June 19, 2012, the Court of Justice of the European Union issued a decision in a trademark case where the applicant sought registration for IP TRANSLATOR, using a class heading of “educational services” to identify the services. Prior to this decision, an applicant for trademark protection in the European Union could use a class … Continue Reading
As many readers of this blog are by now aware, the Supreme Court today issued its much anticipated opinion in National Federation of Business et al v. Sebelius, regarding the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (PL 111-148), more commonly refered to as "Obamacare". Because of the importance of this decision, we’re … Continue Reading
One of our clients recently received a notice of allowance from the USPTO after only six months of filing and should receive an issued U.S. utility patent within eight months of filing. For those of you familiar with the U.S. patent system and accustomed to waits of 3, 4, 5 or more years to obtain … Continue Reading
Several studies of possible toxic effects of quantum dots on humans have been done using cell cultures in petri dishes or rodents, usually white lab rats. But lab rats are related to humans only in that both are mammals. In a recently published letter in Nature Nanotechnology,"A pilot study in non-human primates shows no adverse response … Continue Reading
As nanoparticles become more commonly used in everyday products it becomes increasingly important to understand " nanoparticle aggregation in the aqueous environment . . . for assessing the fate, transport and toxicity of nanomaterials". In an effort to increase the body of scientific knowledge in this area, Dongxu Zhou, Samuel W. Bennett, and Arturo A. … Continue Reading
Prior to adjourning for the Memorial Say recess, the Senate, on 05/24/2012, by a vote of 96-1, passed S. 3187, the "Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act", " To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise and extend the user-fee programs for prescription drugs and medical devices, to establish user-fee programs for … Continue Reading
European Plastics News posted an article on it’s site last week,("Graphene developers seek routes out of the lab"), focusing on challenges to and progress in the commercialization of graphene, specifically its "potential as a mutlifunctional reinforcement in composites". Among the challenges the article raises are: 1) Entangling of 3D carbon nanotubes (CNTS) bundles 2) Individual graphite … Continue Reading
The New Haven Independent regularly covers the nanotech field, from the latest experiment in using nanoparticles to deliver medications more efficently to discussions of how nanoindustry will affect the national and regional economies. Recently the New Haven Independent posted an edited transcript of an internview with Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), a long time advocate of Nanotech … Continue Reading
Noting that nanotechnology and nanoindustries have emerged during a period when both the power and ability of government agencies, both on the Federal and State levels, to regulate commerce in all of it’s myriad forms has come under debate and "renewed interest in regulatory reform" and is being "replaced by new governance approaches seeking to … Continue Reading
Women in Europe for a Common Future, (WECF) founded in the Netherlands in 1994, " is a network of 100 member organizations and individual members who share a common concern to promote a healthy environment for all, strengthen the role of women and promote a gender and rights based approach in environment and sustainable development … Continue Reading
The task of the Inspectors General of Federal agencies is to examine "all actions of a government agency or military organization. Conducting audits and investigations, either independently or in response to reports of wrongdoing, the OIG ensures that the agency’s operations are in compliance with the law and general established policies of the government. Audits … Continue Reading
The EU Conference on Privacy and the Protection of Personal Data held March 19 in Washington, D.C., was a great illustration of the importance of the topic within the European Union. The conference was extremely well attended by high-level EU regulators and provided valuable insights into the respective priorities. Tangible results, however, were scarce and … Continue Reading
ObservatoryNANO recently published a "Guide to Responsible Nano-Business", a brief report written for an audience of "Medium sized companies involved in the development, processing, production, or trade of nanotechnology-enabled materials, components, or applications". ObservatoryNANO was created and funded by the then extant European Community (EC), the predecessor of today’sEuropean Union (EU), “to create a European Observatory on … Continue Reading
