For my next trick, disappearing LOA Disclosures! I’ve written here before about the broad adverse effects of the 2015 IEEE patent-devaluing policy. In September this year, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) also picked up on these effects in a supplemental business review letter to IEEE, noting the “dampened enthusiasm for the IEEE process”, the significant increase in negative Letters of Assurance (LoAs) and ANSI’s decline to approve IEEE-802.11ah and 802.11ai as American National Standards (ANSs) (see page 9). Given these set-backs and express challenge by DOJ, one would think that IEEE would drop its one-sided 2015 patent policy and replace it with a balanced one such as those applied by other standards development organizations (SDOs). However, interestingly, it appears that IEEE staff is pushing for an arrangement that would help the organization conceal negative LOAs from ANSI’s accreditation and approval body.