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Blanket Authorities Initiatives

About Blanket Authority Initiatives

Simply stated, "blanket authority" is the process through which an ABA section or division seeks approval from other ABA entities to present its own view, rather than an official ABA position, to a governmental body. In general, this procedure is employed when the subject matter of the position is extremely technical and when a time-sensitive need exists and it is not possible to have either the ABA House of Delegates or ABA Board of Governors go through the regular process for adopting Association policy.

Below is a list of current blanket authority initiatives of the Section. Please be advised that members must follow the policy procedure and usage guidelines outlined in the American Bar Association's Constitution and Bylaws, Rules of Procedure of the House of DelegatesThe handbook on blanket authority can be found here.

Blanket Authorities Archives

2023 Initiatives

September 18, 2023

September 15, 2023

June 26, 2023

June 8, 2023

May 25, 2023

May 2, 2023

February 14, 2023

January 13, 2023

2022 Initiatives

December 1, 2022

October 31, 2022

October 28, 2022

October 5, 2022

September 14, 2022

August 18, 2022

July 15, 2022

June 30, 2022

June 10, 2022

June 6, 2022

May 31, 2022

May 26, 2022

May 23, 2022

April 26, 2022

March 11, 2022

2021 Initiatives

December 23, 2021

  • Comments on the French Competition Authority Draft Framework on Implementing Compliance Programs

November 18, 2021

  • Comments on Draft Amendments to China’s Anti-Monopoly Law.

September 24, 2021 

  • Report on the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Issues and Recommendations for Reform
    Cover Letter | Comments

October 5, 2021

  • Comments on the European Commission's Consultation Document on the Revision of the E.U. Competition Rules in Relation to Horizontal Agreements Between Companies

October 1, 2021

  • Comments on the New Pro-Competition Regime for Digital Markets Proposed by the Government of the United Kingdom

September 30, 2021

  • Comments on the Reforming Competition and Consumer Policy Proposed by the Government of the United Kingdom 

September 16, 2021

  • Comments on European Commission’s Consultation on the Draft Revised Regulation on Vertical Agreements and Vertical Guidelines

September 17, 2021

  • Comments to the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China on the Judicial Interpretation of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law

August 26, 2021

  • Comments on Proposed Guidance Note on Business Collaborations from the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore

July 29, 2021

  • Comments on the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (“UNCITRAL”) Working Group III Initial Draft Provisions on Third-Party Funding in Investor-State Dispute Settlement

July 22, 2021

  • Comments on the Competition and Markets Authority’s Proposed Recommendation on the Retained Vertical Block Exemption Regulation Consultation Document
  • Comments on the Competition Commission of South Africa’s “Online Intermediation Platforms Market Inquiry Statement of Issues”

July 9, 2021

  • Comments on Fiscalia Nacional Economica (FNE) Draft Horizontal Merger Guidelines

June 17, 2021

  • Comments on the European Commission’s Consultation of Certain Procedural Aspects of EU Merger Control

May 28, 2021

  • Comments on the European Commission’s Open Consultation on a Possible EU Initiative Related to the Application of Competition Rules to Collective Bargaining by Self-Employed Workers

March 26, 2021

  • Comments on the European Commission’s Vertical Block Exemption Regulation Consultation Document

March 16, 2021

  • Comments on the UK Competition and Markets Authority Consultation Paper on “Algorithms: How They Can Reduce Competition and Harm Consumers”

February 17, 2021

  • Comments on New Zealand Commerce Commission’s Revised Cartel Leniency and Immunity Policy under the Commerce Act

February 9, 2021

  • Comments on Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act Merger Review Regulations 2020

January 8, 2021

  • Comments on the United Kingdom Competition and Markets Authority Merger Review Guidelines

2020 Initiatives

December 21, 2020

  • Comments to the European Data Protection Board on Measures that Supplement Transfer Tools to Ensure Compliance with the Level of Protection of Personal Data

December 14, 2020

  • Comments to China's State Administration for Market Regulation on Draft Antitrust Guidelines for Platform Economy

November 19, 2020

  • Comments to the Namibian Competition Commission on the Draft Competition Amendment Bill

October 30, 2020

  • Comments on Indecopi’s Draft Guidelines on Actions for Damages on Behalf of Consumers as a Consequence of Anticompetitive Conduct

October 27, 2020

  • Comments on the World Bank's International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Working Group III Draft Code of Conduct for Adjudicators in Investor-State Dispute Settlement

October 9, 2020

  • Comments on the European Commission’s Consultation on Review of the Market Definition Notice

December 14, 2020

  • Comments of the American Bar Association's Antitrust Law and International Law Sections on Draft Anti-Monopoly Guidelines in the Field of Platform Economy

August 27, 2020

  • Comments of the Antitrust Law Section and the International Law Section of the American Bar Association on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's Proposed News Media Bargaining Code

August 13, 2020

  • Joint Comments of the Section of Intellectual Property Law, and International Law Section of the American Bar Association on the Second Reading Draft of China’s Patent Law Amendments

July 30, 2020

  • Comments on Draft Report of the Department of State Commission on Unalienable Rights

July 17, 2020

  • IP Law Section and International Law Section Comments to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office regarding China's Supreme People's Court's 6 draft documents regarding intellectual property and trade secrets disputes.

May 14, 2020

  • Comments on JFTC Attorney Client Privilege and Surcharge Reduction Rules

May 11, 2020

  • Letter to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on China’s Draft Guidelines Regarding the Enforcement of IP Judgments

February 27, 2020

February 14, 2020

February 11, 2020

  • Comments on the European Commission’s Competition Rules on Horizontal Agreements Between Companies
    Cover Letter | Comments