CBP Tests Automated Commercial Environment E-Maifest: Rail and Sea

Washington - U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced today that user testing for the Automated Commercial Environment e-Manifest: Rail and Sea began earlier this month. CBP is conducting the testing with members of the trade community and plans to begin the pilot later this year.

"We are pleased to announce that testing is proceeding successfully on the ACE e-Manifest: Rail and Sea system,” said CBP Assistant Commissioner for International Trade Allen Gina. "CBP is making substantive progress in modernizing the essential business processes to facilitate trade and security."

e-Manifest: Rail and Sea will replace the same capability available currently in the Automated Commercial System with additional benefits for users. Holds on shipments will be container specific and carriers will be informed which PGA has held any particular shipment. New reports will be also be available for carriers, brokers, and importers.

The Automated Commercial Environment is a multi-year project to modernize the business processes essential to securing U.S. borders, speeding the flow of legitimate shipments, and targeting illicit goods. ACE is a key part of CBP’s layered defense to facilitate trade and border security.

For more information on ACE, visit the CBP website. ( CBP Homepage )

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

ICE puts the summer heat on counterfeiters

WASHINGTON – As the summer months begin in the United States, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is keeping the heat on counterfeiters by seizing domain names of websites used to sell counterfeit goods and illegally distribute copyrighted materials. This operation marks the fifth phase of "Operation In Our Sites," a sustained law enforcement initiative aimed at counterfeiting and piracy over the Internet.

The websites seized during this phase of "Operation In Our Sites" include:

• Mygolfaccessory.com
• Freshkicks4u.com
• Freshcaps4u.com
• Watchnewfilms.com
• Re1ease.net

During the course of the operation, ICE HSI agents investigated websites suspected of selling counterfeit goods and illegally distributing copyrighted material in the United States. Once the materials were confirmed as counterfeit or otherwise illegal, seizure orders for the domain names of the websites that sold or distributed the items were obtained from federal magistrate judges. Individuals accessing the websites will now find a banner notifying them that the domain name of that website has been seized by federal authorities.
"American business is threatened by those who produce counterfeit trademarked goods and pirate copyrighted materials," said ICE Director John Morton. "From counterfeit pharmaceuticals and electronics to pirated movies, music, and software, IP thieves undermine the U.S. economy and jeopardize public safety. That is why the Operation In Our Sites initiative will continue through 2011 and beyond. Our efforts through this operation successfully disrupt the ability of criminals to purvey counterfeit goods and copyrighted materials illegally over the Internet."
This nationwide operation was spearheaded by the ICE HSI-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) in coordination with U.S. Attorneys' Offices for the Northern District of California, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Washington and HSI offices in Houston, San Francisco and Seattle.
In June 2010, ICE HSI and the IPR Center began "Operation In Our Sites." Since the launch of this operation, ICE HSI and the IPR Center have seized a total of 125 domain names and redirected those domain names to a seizure banner. Seventy-six of the 125 domain names seized have now been forfeited to the United States government. Through the forfeiture process, individuals who have an interest in the seized domain names are provided a period of time after the "Notice of Seizure" to file a petition with a federal court and additional time after the "Notice of Forfeiture" to contest the forfeiture. If no petitions or claims are filed, the domain names become property of the U.S. government.
Last month, the IPR Center launched a public service announcement (PSA) that appears on each of the 76 forfeited domain names. Since the launch of this PSA on ICE's YouTube page, this video has received nearly 100,000 individual views, educating the public about the economic impact of trademark counterfeiting and copyright infringement. The PSA on forfeited websites is a significant benefit of this enforcement operation in deterring future crimes and in raising awareness.
In December 2010, the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment launched the PSA campaign entitled "Piracy Doesn't Work in NYC," which targets digital piracy. The goal of the campaign is to reinforce to the public that the jobs of New Yorkers who work in and support the creative industries in the city are threatened when digital entertainment such as books, movies and songs are illegally downloaded.
"A significant amount of the creative entertainment that gets produced each year is made in New York City whether it's books, music, films or television shows," said Katherine Oliver, commissioner of New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. "The City is home to nearly 700,000 New Yorkers who make their living either working in or supporting those creative industries so when people illegally download their entertainment, lost revenue from those actions could mean lost jobs in the City."
Intellectual property rights violators unfairly devalue America's contributions, compromise American jobs, and put consumers, families, and communities at risk. They also protect the actor, director, writer, musician, artist, and countless others who labor in and around America's entertainment industry from having a movie, manuscript, song or design illegally sold by someone who had no part in the artistry of creating it. Intellectual property rights are intended to discourage thieves from selling cheap imitations of products that are often far less safe or reliable than the original products. More importantly, intellectual property rights protect public safety by preventing the proliferation of counterfeit pharmaceuticals and other materials that are potentially harmful.
It is estimated that intellectual property thefts costs American industry billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of jobs every year. Additionally, "Operation In Our Sites" is also targeting counterfeit pharmaceuticals, software, electronics, games and other products that threaten public health and safety.
The IPR Center is one of the U.S. government's key weapons in the fight against criminal counterfeiting and piracy. The IPR Center is led by ICE HSI and includes partners from U.S. Customs and Border Protection; FBI; Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Postal Inspection Service; Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration; Patent and Trademark Office; Naval Criminal Investigative Service; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Army Criminal Investigative Command, Major Procurement Fraud Unit; General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General; Consumer Product Safety Commission; Defense Logistics Agency, Office of the Inspector General; Air Force Office of Special Investigations; Department of State, Office of International Intellectual Property Enforcement; INTERPOL; Government of Mexico, Tax Administration Service; and Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
As a task force, the IPR Center uses the expertise of its member agencies to share information, develop initiatives, coordinate enforcement actions, and conduct investigations related to IP theft. Through this strategic interagency partnership, the IPR Center protects the public's health and safety, the U.S. economy and the war fighters.
To report IP theft, visit www.IPRCenter.gov.

Announcing Next Generation Fuel Economy Labels

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

The President and his Administration have made it a priority to protect consumers against rising gas prices. Earlier this year, he announced a plan to reduce our oil imports by a third by 2025 -- leveraging domestic resources while reducing the oil we consume. And he has taken steps to invest in new technologies and more efficient transportation initiatives that are already helping us move towards this important goal. Today, as part of these efforts, the Administration introduced next generation fuel economy labels that will empower car buyers with better information about what they will spend or save on fuels costs when looking to purchase a new vehicle. The new fuel economy labels will still provide the same familiar and important information about city and highway mileage for new vehicles, but now for the first time, they will also include comparable fuel economy and environmental ratings for all new vehicles, including advanced technology vehicles like electric cars and hybrids. The new labels underscore the benefits of the historic passenger car and truck fuel economy rule adopted under this administration by the EPA and DOT in 2010 that will save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the life of the program and reduce fuel costs for the average consumer by $3,000. The bottom line is that these labels will help people make more informed decisions when they're buying a car, so that they can save money at the gas pump. Learn more at www.fueleconomy.gov. Car buyers can expect to see the new labels early next year when 2013 model vehicles hit the showroom floors, and possibly even earlier on some vehicles, but you can get a sneak preview of the new design here: Additionally, as part of Administration efforts to make sure that the government is leading by example when it comes to fuel economy standards, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. General Services Administration and White House Council on Environmental Quality came together this week to announce another major step in boosting clean energy technologies in our Federal fleet. President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum that will implement new Federal fleet management practices to further the Administration's goals to cut oil imports by one-third by 2025 and to put one million advanced vehicles on the road by 2015. In tandem, GSA launched a historic Electric Vehicle Pilot program that will put the President’s plan into action and place alternative fueled vehicles into the Federal fleet in cities across the country. White House Highlights Saving You Money at the Pump and Protecting the Air We BreatheMay 25, 2011 New fuel economy labels will help consumers get the best deal and protect the environment. Generation Fuel Economy Labels Arm Consumers with Information They Can Use May 25, 2011 Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson introduce a new fuel economy labels that will empower car buyers with better information about what they will spend or save on fuel costs when looking to purchase a new vehicle. Driving our Nation Toward America's Clean Energy Future May 24, 2011 Today, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, U.S. General Services Administrator Martha Johnson and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley came together to announce another major step in leading by example and reducing our dependence on oil by boosting clean energy technologies in our Federal fleet. America’s Home Energy Education Challenge May 24, 2011 It can be quite a feat coming up with new and exciting ways to engage our young folk when it comes to energy and science, but the Department of Energy and the National Science Teachers Association have put together a new challenge to ignite that spark. Protecting Families at the Pump and Expanding Responsible Domestic Oil Production May 17,2011 Heather Zichal, Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change, discusses the Administration’s policies to support safe and responsible domestic oil and gas production. Weekly Address: Expanding Responsible Oil Production in America May 14, 2011 As part of his long-term plan to reduce our reliance on foreign oil, President Obama lays out his strategy to continue expanding safe and responsible domestic oil production. Working with Communities to Restore a Healthy and Prosperous Gulf Coast May 12.2011 CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley travels to Mobile, Alabama to participate in the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force public meeting and discuss the Administration's work to protect and restore the Gulf Coast. Weekly Address: Clean Energy to Out-Innovate the Rest of the World May 7, 2011 Speaking from a hybrid vehicle transmission company in Indiana, the President explains how investments in a clean energy economy are the only solution to high gas prices in the long term The President on Jobs & Gas Prices: Read His Remarks, Download the Graphic May 6,2011 Speaking at a hybrid vehicle transmission plant in Indiana, the President explains how these kinds of industries will not only help get gas prices down in the long term, they'll provide the next generation of jobs. The 'America's Next Top Energy Innovator' Challenge Begins Today May 2, 2011Starting today and until December 15, start-up companies can apply for one of the Department of Energy's thousands of unlicensed patents for greatly reduced cost and paperwork. Weekly Address: Ending Taxpayer Subsidies for Oil Companies April 30, 2011 At a time of high gas prices and massive oil industry profits, the President renews his call to end the $4 billion-per-year subsidies for oil and gas companies and invest in clean energy.

CBP Tests Automated Commercial Environment E-Maifest: Rail and Sea