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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`www USplo.gov
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`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
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`ATTORNEY DOCKETNO.
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`CONFIRMATION NO.
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`12/356,486
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`FILING DATE
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`01/20/2009
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` APPLICATION NO.
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`James A.Billmaier
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`34395/430
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`8893
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`ARRIS Group c/o StoelRives LLP
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`201 S. Main St., Ste 1100
`Salt Lake City, UT 84111
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`[ewe
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`EXAMINER
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`BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
`ART UNIT
`PAPER NUMBER
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`2179
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`MAIL DATE
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`01/22/2010
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`PAPER
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`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
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`The time periodforreply,if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`SONY - Ex.-1006
`Sony Corporation - Petitioner
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`Application No.
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`Applicant(s)
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`Office Action Summary
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`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address--
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`Period for Reply
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`12/356,486
`Examiner
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`X. L. Bautista
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`BILLMAIER ETAL.
`Art Unit
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`2179 So
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`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTH(S) OR THIRTY (30) DAYS,
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`WHICHEVER IS LONGER, FROM THE MAILING DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a).
`In no event, however, may a reply be timelyfiled
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`after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
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`If NO period forreply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
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`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for replywill, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
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`Any reply received by the Office later than three monthsafter the mailing date of this communication, even if timely filed, may reduce any
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`eamed patent term adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
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`Status
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`1)X] Responsive to communication(s) filed on 30 November 2009.
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`2a)X] This action is FINAL.
`2b)L] This action is non-final.
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`3)L] Sincethis application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
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`closed in accordance with the practice under Ex parte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims
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`4)X] Claim(s) 1-23 is/are pending in the application.
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`4a) Of the above claim(s)
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`5)L] Claim(s)
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`6)X] Claim(s) 1-23 is/are rejected.
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`7)L] Claim(s)__ is/are objectedto.
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`8)L] Claim(s)____ are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
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`Application Papers
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`9)L] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
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`10)L] The drawing(s) filed on
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`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
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`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121(d).
`11)] The oath or declaration is objected to by the Examiner. Note the attached Office Action or form PTO-152.
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`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
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`12)L] Acknowledgmentis made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or(f).
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`a)LJAll b)L_] Some*c)L] Noneof:
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`1.L] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
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`2.L] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
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`3.L] Copies ofthe certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
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`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
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`* See the attached detailed Office action foralist of the certified copies not received.
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`Attachment(s)
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`1) C] Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`4) C] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
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`2) [J Notice of Draftsperson’s Patent Drawing Review (PTO-948)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date. __
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`3) ] Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08)
`5) LJ Noticeof Informal Patent Application
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`6) C] Other:
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
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`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
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`PTOL-326 (Rev. 08-06)
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20100119
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`P.2
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`Application/Control Number: 12/356 ,486
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`Art Unit: 2179
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`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Double Patenting
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`1.
`The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created
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`doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the
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`unjustified or improper timewise extension ofthe “right to exclude” granted by a patent
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`and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory
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`obviousness-type double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims
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`are notidentical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct
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`from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated
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`by, or would have been obvious over,the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140
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`F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29
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`USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir.
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`1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422
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`F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and /n re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163
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`USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
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`A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d)
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`may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory
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`double patenting ground provided the conflicting application or patent either is shown to
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`be commonly ownedwith this application, or claims an invention made asa result of
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`activities undertaken within the scopeofa joint research agreement.
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`Effective January 1, 1994, a registered attorney or agent of record may sign a
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`terminal disclaimer. A terminal disclaimer signed by the assignee mustfully comply with
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`37 CFR 3.73(b).
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`2.
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`Claims 1-23 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory obviousness-type double
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`patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-22 of U.S. Patent No. 7,487,459 B2 and
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`claims 1-48 of prior U.S. Patent No. 7,055,104 B1,
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`in view of Bernhardson (US
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`2003/0001898 A‘).
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`Specification
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`3.
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`The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for
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`the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o).
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`P.3
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`Application/Control Number: 12/356 ,486
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`Art Unit: 2179
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`Page 3
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`Applicant claims a “computer-readable medium”in claim 21, which is not defined
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`in the specification.
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`Allowable Subject Matter
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`4.
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`Claims 1-23 are allowed.
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`Conclusion
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`5.
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`Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in
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`this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP
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`§ 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37
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`CFR 1.136(a).
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`A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE
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`MONTHS from the mailing date of this action.
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`In the eventa first reply is filed within
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`TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not
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`mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTHshortened statutory period, then the
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`shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any
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`extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of
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`the advisory action.
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`In no event, however,will the statutory period for reply expire later
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`than SIX MONTHS from the date ofthis final action.
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`6.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to X. L. Bautista whose telephone number is (571) 272-
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`P.4
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`P. 4
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`Application/Control Number: 12/356,486
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`Art Unit: 2179
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`Page 4
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`4132. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 8:00AM-6:00PM.
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Weilun Lo can be reached on (571) 272-4847. The fax phone number for
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`the organization wherethis application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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`7.
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`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
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`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
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`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
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`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
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`For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should
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`you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic
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`Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197(toll-free). If you would like assistance from a
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`USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information
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`system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA)or 571-272-1000.
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`/X. L. Bautista/
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`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2179
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`19 January 2010
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`P.5
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`P. 5
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