The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) today announced that it will make its public docket, which includes the public inspection files maintained in every ITC investigation, available on the Internet, starting today.
ITC Chairman Lynn M. Bragg made the announcement this morning at a meeting of the ITC Trial Lawyers Association.
The ITC's new EDIS On-Line feature will enable users to view scanned images of public documents filed with the agency in connection with any of its investigations instituted after January 1, 1996. Documents available to users through EDIS On-Line include petitions and complaints, briefs, hearing testimony, request letters, and all other public filings. Previously, users had to visit the agency's public reading room to view the documents. Confidential filings will not be accessible through EDIS On-Line, and hearing transcripts will not be posted until six months after the hearing has taken place.
Users can access the EDIS On-Line feature from the ITC's Internet web site: www.usitc.gov From the homepage, select the "EDIS On-Line" link, then follow the on-screen instructions.
The ITC's Internet site offers users access to ITC news releases and Federal Register notices, scheduled events and investigation calendars, reports and publications issued since late 1994, and general information about the Commission. In addition, it includes a variety of specialized sections, including a Tariff Affairs section with access to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States; sections to help users track unfair import (section 337) investigations and five-year (sunset) reviews; and access to DataWeb, the ITC's interactive tariff and trade database.
The ITC is an independent, nonpartisan, quasi-judicial federal agency that provides trade expertise to both the legislative and executive branches of government, determines the impact of imports on U.S. industries, and directs actions against certain unfair trade practices, such as patent, trademark, and copyright infringement. ITC analysts and economists investigate and publish reports on U.S. industries and the global trends that affect them.