please
05 may 2015 - SPIE.org, the international society for optics and photonics, says the proposal has “broad implications for the US optics and photonics industry both now and into the future.”
Starting today, a 60-day comment period gives the photonics industry the opportunity to provide vital input on proposed revision to regulations controlling export of important technologies under Category XII of the US Munitions List, which governs commodities covered by International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
SPIE CEO Eugene Arthurs noted that the economic impacts being seen by industry are becoming more serious by the day. “The stakes are high for our industry,” Arthurs said. “Outside of a few major contractors, the Department of Defense does not and cannot invest enough R&D funds to sustain and grow businesses. Federal budget actions have kept R&D funding virtually flat, while market opportunity is growing rapidly.”
Meanwhile, he said, non-US companies with similar products are selling freely, and often using the words "ITAR-Free" to promote their goods. “Many are prudently investing the resulting revenue back into their companies, feeding the potential for rapid growth,” Arthurs said. “This scenario comes at the detriment of the US industry’s growth and the high-paying jobs that come with it.”
http://optics.org/news/6/5/2
US Department of Commerce: deadline for comments Friday, July 6 2015.
mhhh....... where do you draw the line ? Think satellite communications - cyber security for cloud.and wireless infrastructure, etc.
Cheers
