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U N I T E D S T A T E SO F A M E R I C A
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
wASl ilNG'fON, D.('. 20580
Mr. S. M. Oliva,President Citizensfor VotuntaryTrade 2000F Street NW, #315 Washington, DC 20006
Re:
FOrA-2005-00267
Ralnbus Case
DearMr. Oliva: requesting access, underthe This is in response your 1111712004, to comespondence Freedom InformationAct ("FOIA"), to certaininformationfrom the RambusCase. In of policy,we havesearched records of 01 2512005, accordance with the FOIA and agency as our the your request our FOIA office. in datewe received about27 boxesof responsive records, We havelocated almostall of which fall r,vithin to requirements, explained as below. two of the exemptions the FOIA's mandatory disclosure a Accordingly, am parliallygrantingandpartiallydenyingyour request.I am enclosing copy of I the two pages accessible records. of First,the responsive materialis exemptfrom disclosure underFOIA Exemption3, 5 they areexemptfrom disclosure another statute.Specifically, because by U.S.C.$ 552(b)(3)' provides 2l(f) that the FTC may not disclose informationit obtainsin a law enforcement Section pursuant voluntarilyin lieu of compulsory process.15 U.S.C.$ 57b-2,seeA. investigation Michael's Piano,Inc. v. FTC,18 F.3d 138(2d Cir. 1994). the are Second, records exemptfrom disclosure underFOIA Exemption7(A), 5 U.S.C. disclosure that materialcouldreasonably expected interfere to with 552(b)(7XA), because of be $ the conductof the Commission's law enforcement activities.SeeRobbinsTire & RttbberCo. v. MRB, 437 U.S. 214(1978). you may appealby writing to If you arenot satisfiedwith this response your request, to Irreedom InformationAct Appeal,Office of the GeneralCounsel, of FederalTradeCommission, 600 PennsylvaniaAvenue, D.C. 20580,within 30 daysof the dateof this N.W., Washington letter. Please If enclose copy of your originalrequestanda copy of this response. you believe a please that we shouldchoose disclose to additional materials beyondwhat the FOIA requires, explainwhy this would be in the public interest.
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UNITEDSTATES AMERICA OF
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON. D.C.20580
Office of the GeneralCounsel
JuneI,2005 S.M. Oliva, President Citizensfor VoluntaryTrade PostOffice Box 100073 Arlington,VA 22210
Re: Freedomof InformationAct Appeal RambusCase No. 2005-00267 FOIA Request Dear Mr. Oliva: This responds your April 14,2005,appealof Ms. JoanFina's partial denial of your to requestunderthe Freedomof InformationAct ("FOIA"), 5 U.S.C. $ 552. My office received your appealletter on April 19, 2005. By letter datedMay 17, 2005, I extendedthe time for deciding the appealby 10 working daysin order to retrieve and appropnatelyexaminethe and voluminousamountof separate distinctrecords.See16 C.F.R.$$ 4.11(aX1)(iiiXB) and (a)(2Xii)(B); u.s.C. $ 552(a)(6)(B). 5 to access "any In your initial requestletter,datedNovember l'7,,2004,you had requested and all documents, relevantto the Rambuscase,that meetthe following descriptions: " 1. Communicationsdatedon or before June 26, 2002, by and betweenFIC staff and Inc., Hynix any officer, employee, agent,or counselof Micron Technology, Semiconductor, Inc., or InfineonTechnologies AG; "2. Communications and betweenFTC staff and Congressman C.L. "Butch" Otter, or by any memberof the congressman's staff or campaigncommittee;and "3. A list of any outsidecontractors of hired by FTC staff, including a description the providedby the contractors services and the amountof their compensation." By letter datedMarch 15, 2005,Ms.Fina partially grantedand partially deniedyour request.Ms. Fina providedyou with two pagesof responsive records(a charttitled "Rambus documents Consultants and Cost"). Ms. Fina withheld approximately boxesof responsive 2J underFOIA Exemption3, 5 U.S.C.$ 552(bX3), virtue of Section2I(0 of the FTC Act, 15 by U.S.C.$57b-2(0, andFOIA Exemption 7A, 5 U.S.C.$ 552(b)(7XA).
Mr. S.M.Oliva
Page2
of You limited your appealto documents falling into the first category your initial request.Someof the documents are that arecoveredby that first category now on the public recordbecause that havebeen they areincludedwithin the 50 additionalboxesof documents is released the public recordin the caseof In the Matter of Rambus. A formal FOIA request to volume of not necessary obtainmaterialthat is on the public record. Given the extraordinary to documents this matter,the Commissionis making the public materialsmore readily accessible in on four computerdisks. I haveenclosed copy of threeof thesedisks,and I will forward the a fourth as soonas it is available. The Secretary's office haswaived the cost of the disksto you. I haveenclosed which are also on the threeadditionalpagesof responsive documents, public record. A significant portion of the recordsthat are responsiveto the first categoryof your request, however arenot on the public record. I am denyingyour appealwith respect those to , recordsbecause agreewith Ms. Fina's determination I that the materialshewithheld is protected by the FOIA. First, all of the withheld documents exemptfrom disclosure are underFOIA Exemptions (D), because 7(A) and7(D), 5 U.S.C.$$ 552(bX7XA)and of disclosure that materialcould reasonably expected interferewith the conductof the Commission'slaw enforcement be to activities. SeeRobbinsTire & Rubber Co. v. NLRB,437 U.S. 214 (1978). Contraryto what you suggest your appeal, Commission'slaw enforcement in the proceeding Rambusis against ongoingbecause Commissionhasnot yet issueda final decisionand order and further the administrative hearings havenot beenforeclosed.Accordingly,the Commission'sproceeding againstRambuswould be harmedby the prematurereleaseof evidenceor information. Second, most of the withheld documents protected are further by FOIA Exemption3, which exemptsfrom mandatory public disclosure otherthan the materialprotected statutes by FOIA, includingFIC Act Sections 2l(b) and (f). SectionzI(b) prohibitspublic disclosure of informationthat was obtainedundercompulsoryprocess connection in with a Commissionlaw enforcement investigation.Section2I(f) exemptsfrom FOIA recordsobtainedby the Commissionpursuantto compulsoryprocess, voluntarily in lieu of process.SeeA. Michael's or Piano,Inc.v.FTC,18F.3d I38(2dCir.1994). Mostof thedocumentsMs.Finawithheldwere providedto the Commissionpursuant compulsoryprocess voluntarily in lieu of process.I to or have determinedin fact, that there are up to 423 boxes of recordsreceivedpursuantto compulsoryprocess, althoughsomeof thesedocuments may havebeenreceivedafter June26, 2002 and would not be responsive your request.As explainedabove,thesedocuments are to exemptfrom disclosure underFOIA Exemption3, and Sectron2I(b) of the FTC Act prohibits public disclosure them. of You assert that it is in the public interestto disclosethe documents because the of "exceptional circumstances the Rambuscase." However,many of the withheld documents of cannotbe released because FTC Act Sectron ZI(b) prohibitspublic disclosure informationthat of was obtainedundercompulsoryprocess.To the extentI have discretionto release remaining the
Mr. S.M. Oliva
Page3
the against public interestin I exemptdocuments, must weigh the public interestin disclosure preventingharm to the would servethe strongpublic interestin Nondisclosure nondisclosure. the activities. In my judgment,the likely harm of releasing Commission'slaw enforcement it materialin this caseoutweighsany public interestin releasing at this time. responsive release. Accordingly,I am denyingyour requestfor discretionary to my that I exercise discretion refer this appealto the Finally, I am denyingyour request Commissionfor determination.The applicationof the FOIA in this casedoesnot raiseany unusual difficultissues.See16 C.F.R.$ 4.11(a)(2)(iiixA). or As requiredby the FOIA, you areherebyadvisedthatjudicial review of this decisionmay District Court in the district where be obtainedunder5 U.S.C. $ 552(d@)(B),in aUnited States you resideor haveyour principal placeof business, in the District of Columbia. Also, as or official responsiblefor requiredby the FOIA, you are herebyadvisedthat I am the designated this partial denial of your appeal.
Sincerely,
William Blumenthal GeneralCounsel Enclosures
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
wASl ilNG'fON, D.('. 20580
Mr. S. M. Oliva,President Citizensfor VotuntaryTrade 2000F Street NW, #315 Washington, DC 20006
Re:
FOrA-2005-00267
Ralnbus Case
DearMr. Oliva: requesting access, underthe This is in response your 1111712004, to comespondence Freedom InformationAct ("FOIA"), to certaininformationfrom the RambusCase. In of policy,we havesearched records of 01 2512005, accordance with the FOIA and agency as our the your request our FOIA office. in datewe received about27 boxesof responsive records, We havelocated almostall of which fall r,vithin to requirements, explained as below. two of the exemptions the FOIA's mandatory disclosure a Accordingly, am parliallygrantingandpartiallydenyingyour request.I am enclosing copy of I the two pages accessible records. of First,the responsive materialis exemptfrom disclosure underFOIA Exemption3, 5 they areexemptfrom disclosure another statute.Specifically, because by U.S.C.$ 552(b)(3)' provides 2l(f) that the FTC may not disclose informationit obtainsin a law enforcement Section pursuant voluntarilyin lieu of compulsory process.15 U.S.C.$ 57b-2,seeA. investigation Michael's Piano,Inc. v. FTC,18 F.3d 138(2d Cir. 1994). the are Second, records exemptfrom disclosure underFOIA Exemption7(A), 5 U.S.C. disclosure that materialcouldreasonably expected interfere to with 552(b)(7XA), because of be $ the conductof the Commission's law enforcement activities.SeeRobbinsTire & RttbberCo. v. MRB, 437 U.S. 214(1978). you may appealby writing to If you arenot satisfiedwith this response your request, to Irreedom InformationAct Appeal,Office of the GeneralCounsel, of FederalTradeCommission, 600 PennsylvaniaAvenue, D.C. 20580,within 30 daysof the dateof this N.W., Washington letter. Please If enclose copy of your originalrequestanda copy of this response. you believe a please that we shouldchoose disclose to additional materials beyondwhat the FOIA requires, explainwhy this would be in the public interest.
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UNITEDSTATES AMERICA OF
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON. D.C.20580
Office of the GeneralCounsel
JuneI,2005 S.M. Oliva, President Citizensfor VoluntaryTrade PostOffice Box 100073 Arlington,VA 22210
Re: Freedomof InformationAct Appeal RambusCase No. 2005-00267 FOIA Request Dear Mr. Oliva: This responds your April 14,2005,appealof Ms. JoanFina's partial denial of your to requestunderthe Freedomof InformationAct ("FOIA"), 5 U.S.C. $ 552. My office received your appealletter on April 19, 2005. By letter datedMay 17, 2005, I extendedthe time for deciding the appealby 10 working daysin order to retrieve and appropnatelyexaminethe and voluminousamountof separate distinctrecords.See16 C.F.R.$$ 4.11(aX1)(iiiXB) and (a)(2Xii)(B); u.s.C. $ 552(a)(6)(B). 5 to access "any In your initial requestletter,datedNovember l'7,,2004,you had requested and all documents, relevantto the Rambuscase,that meetthe following descriptions: " 1. Communicationsdatedon or before June 26, 2002, by and betweenFIC staff and Inc., Hynix any officer, employee, agent,or counselof Micron Technology, Semiconductor, Inc., or InfineonTechnologies AG; "2. Communications and betweenFTC staff and Congressman C.L. "Butch" Otter, or by any memberof the congressman's staff or campaigncommittee;and "3. A list of any outsidecontractors of hired by FTC staff, including a description the providedby the contractors services and the amountof their compensation." By letter datedMarch 15, 2005,Ms.Fina partially grantedand partially deniedyour request.Ms. Fina providedyou with two pagesof responsive records(a charttitled "Rambus documents Consultants and Cost"). Ms. Fina withheld approximately boxesof responsive 2J underFOIA Exemption3, 5 U.S.C.$ 552(bX3), virtue of Section2I(0 of the FTC Act, 15 by U.S.C.$57b-2(0, andFOIA Exemption 7A, 5 U.S.C.$ 552(b)(7XA).
Mr. S.M.Oliva
Page2
of You limited your appealto documents falling into the first category your initial request.Someof the documents are that arecoveredby that first category now on the public recordbecause that havebeen they areincludedwithin the 50 additionalboxesof documents is released the public recordin the caseof In the Matter of Rambus. A formal FOIA request to volume of not necessary obtainmaterialthat is on the public record. Given the extraordinary to documents this matter,the Commissionis making the public materialsmore readily accessible in on four computerdisks. I haveenclosed copy of threeof thesedisks,and I will forward the a fourth as soonas it is available. The Secretary's office haswaived the cost of the disksto you. I haveenclosed which are also on the threeadditionalpagesof responsive documents, public record. A significant portion of the recordsthat are responsiveto the first categoryof your request, however arenot on the public record. I am denyingyour appealwith respect those to , recordsbecause agreewith Ms. Fina's determination I that the materialshewithheld is protected by the FOIA. First, all of the withheld documents exemptfrom disclosure are underFOIA Exemptions (D), because 7(A) and7(D), 5 U.S.C.$$ 552(bX7XA)and of disclosure that materialcould reasonably expected interferewith the conductof the Commission'slaw enforcement be to activities. SeeRobbinsTire & Rubber Co. v. NLRB,437 U.S. 214 (1978). Contraryto what you suggest your appeal, Commission'slaw enforcement in the proceeding Rambusis against ongoingbecause Commissionhasnot yet issueda final decisionand order and further the administrative hearings havenot beenforeclosed.Accordingly,the Commission'sproceeding againstRambuswould be harmedby the prematurereleaseof evidenceor information. Second, most of the withheld documents protected are further by FOIA Exemption3, which exemptsfrom mandatory public disclosure otherthan the materialprotected statutes by FOIA, includingFIC Act Sections 2l(b) and (f). SectionzI(b) prohibitspublic disclosure of informationthat was obtainedundercompulsoryprocess connection in with a Commissionlaw enforcement investigation.Section2I(f) exemptsfrom FOIA recordsobtainedby the Commissionpursuantto compulsoryprocess, voluntarily in lieu of process.SeeA. Michael's or Piano,Inc.v.FTC,18F.3d I38(2dCir.1994). Mostof thedocumentsMs.Finawithheldwere providedto the Commissionpursuant compulsoryprocess voluntarily in lieu of process.I to or have determinedin fact, that there are up to 423 boxes of recordsreceivedpursuantto compulsoryprocess, althoughsomeof thesedocuments may havebeenreceivedafter June26, 2002 and would not be responsive your request.As explainedabove,thesedocuments are to exemptfrom disclosure underFOIA Exemption3, and Sectron2I(b) of the FTC Act prohibits public disclosure them. of You assert that it is in the public interestto disclosethe documents because the of "exceptional circumstances the Rambuscase." However,many of the withheld documents of cannotbe released because FTC Act Sectron ZI(b) prohibitspublic disclosure informationthat of was obtainedundercompulsoryprocess.To the extentI have discretionto release remaining the
Mr. S.M. Oliva
Page3
the against public interestin I exemptdocuments, must weigh the public interestin disclosure preventingharm to the would servethe strongpublic interestin Nondisclosure nondisclosure. the activities. In my judgment,the likely harm of releasing Commission'slaw enforcement it materialin this caseoutweighsany public interestin releasing at this time. responsive release. Accordingly,I am denyingyour requestfor discretionary to my that I exercise discretion refer this appealto the Finally, I am denyingyour request Commissionfor determination.The applicationof the FOIA in this casedoesnot raiseany unusual difficultissues.See16 C.F.R.$ 4.11(a)(2)(iiixA). or As requiredby the FOIA, you areherebyadvisedthatjudicial review of this decisionmay District Court in the district where be obtainedunder5 U.S.C. $ 552(d@)(B),in aUnited States you resideor haveyour principal placeof business, in the District of Columbia. Also, as or official responsiblefor requiredby the FOIA, you are herebyadvisedthat I am the designated this partial denial of your appeal.
Sincerely,
William Blumenthal GeneralCounsel Enclosures
