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Bureau of Customs See UNITED STATES CUSTOMS SERVICE.

Bureau of Democracy Human Rights, and Labor A unit in the U.S. Department of State responsible for developing policy on human rights and freedoms and for preparing the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Abbr. DRL.

Bureau of Diplomatic Security A unit of the U.S. Department of State responsible for protecting the Sec-retary of State and domestic and foreign dignitaries, for investigating criminal activities such as identity-document fraud involving U.S. passports and visas, and for developing security programs protecting diplomats and American interests worldwide.The Bureau employs special agents (members of the U.S. Foreign Service) who are located throughout the United States and in scores of embassies worldwide. It also operates the Diplomatic Courier Service and supervises the transpor-tation of classified documents and materials. Abbr. DS. Also termed Diplomatic Security Service.

bureau of economic analysis A unit in the U.S. Depart-ment of Commerce responsible for compiling and ana-lyzing data about the U. economy. -It is a part of the Department's Economics and Statistics Administration. Abbr. BEA.

Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs A unit in the U.S. Department of State responsible for developing policy on international matters relating to food, communications, energy, air transportation, and maritime affairs. Abbr. EB.

bureau of engraving and printing A unit in the U.S. Department of the Treasury responsible for design-ing and printing the nation's paper currency, postage stamps, Treasury securities, and other documents. -Abbr. BEP.

bureau of export administration The former name of a bureau in the U.S. Department of Commerce that issues export licenses and enforces export-control laws. The unit's name was changed in 2002 to the Bureau of Industry and Security.- Abbr. BXA.

bureau of Indian affairs A unit in the U.S. Depart-ment of the Interior responsible for helping Indian and Alaskan native people manage their affairs under the trust relationship with the U.S., and for promoting programs for their benefit. Originally created as part of the War Department in 1824, the Bureau was trans-ferred to the Interior Department in 1849. Abbr. BIA.

bureau of Industry and security A unit in the U.S. Department of Commerce responsible for issuing export licenses and enforcing export-control laws. The Bureau is charged with furthering U.S. national-security, foreign-policy, and economic interests while furthering the growth of U.S. exports. It was named the Bureau of Export Administration until 2002. Abbr. BIS.

bureau of Intelligence and research A unit in the U.S. Department of State responsible for coordinating activities of U.S. intelligence agencies to ensure consistency with u.s. foreign policy. The Bureau also monitors foreign public and media opinions. Abbr. INR.

bureau of International labor affairs A unit in the U.S. Department of Labor responsible for helping formulate policy on international matters that affect American workers. For example, the Bureau compiles and publishes worldwide data on child-labor practices and on foreign labor markets and programs. It also studies the labor consequences of immigration proposals and legislation.

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforce-ment A unit in the U.S. Department of State responsible for coordinating the narcotics and anticrime-assistance activities of the Department and for advising the President, the Secretary of State, and others on international narcotics matters.- Abbr. INL.

bureau of International organization affairs A unit in the U.S. Department of State responsible for coordinating U.S. diplomatic participation in the United Nations and other international organizations and con-ferences. Abbr. I0.

Bureau of Labor Statistics An independent agency in the U.S. Department of Labor responsible for compiling and analyzing statistical information on employment and the economy. The Bureau reports on employment, unemployment, consumer and producer prices, consumer expenditures, import and export prices, wages and employee benefits, productivity and technological change, employment projections, and occu-pational illness and injury. Abbr. BLS.

bureau of land management The unit within the u.s. Department of the Interior responsible for managing the national-resource lands (some 450 million acres) and their resources and for administering the mineral resources connected with acquired lands and the sub-merged lands of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) .The bureau was established on July 16, 1946, by con-solidating the General Land Office (established in 1812) and the Grazing Service (established in 1934). See 35 USCA §§ 1731 et seq.

bureau of nonproliferation A unit in the u.s. Department of State responsible for leading efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, delivery systems, and advanced conventional arms. Also termed Nonproliferation Bureau.

Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and scientific affairs A unit in the U.S. Department of State responsible for coordinating U.S. ocean, environment, and health policies. -Abbr. OES.

bureau of political-military affairs A unit in the U.S. Department of State responsible for analyzing defense-related policy issues, managing security-assistance funds, and coordinating peace-keeping and humani-tarian operations. Abbr. PM. Alsotermed Political-Military Affairs Bureau.

bureau of population refugees, and migration A unit in the U.S. Department of State responsible for formulating policy and administering U.S. assistance and admissions programs for refugees and others. Abbr.PRM.

bureau of prisons The unit in the u.s. Department of Justice responsible for operating the federal prison system . It oversees all federal penal and correc-tional facilities, assists states and local governments in improving their correctional facilities, and provides notice of prisoner releases. 18 USCA §§ 4041 et seq. See NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CORRECTIONS.- Abbr. BOP.

bureau of redamation A unit in the U.S. Department of the Interior that built dams in 17 western states and is now responsible for selling hydroelectric power from those dams and water from the reservoirs. Among the 600 dams constructed are Hoover Dam and Grand Coulee Dam.

bureau of the budget See OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET.

bureau of the census A unit in the U.S. Department of Commerce responsible for conducting and publishing the census required by the U.S. Constitution to be taken every ten years . Established in 1902, the Bureau also conducts other population surveys and estimates as required by law. It is a part of the Department's Economics and Statistics Administration. - Also termed Census Bureau.

bureau of the mint See UNITED STATES MINT.

bureau of the public debt A unit in the u.s. Department of the Treasury responsible for issuing and redeeming Treasury bills, notes, and bonds, and for managing the U.S. Savings Bond Program.

bureau of transportation statistics A unit in the U.S. Department of Transportation responsible for compiling and publishing transportation statistics. -Abbr. BTS.

bureau veritas See VERITAS.

bureaux Internationaux reunis pour la protection de la propriete lntellectuelle See INTERNATIONAL BUREAU FOR THE PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.

Burford abstention A federal court's refusal to review a state court's decision in cases involVing a complex regulatory scheme and sensitive areas of state concern. Burford v. Sun Oil Co., 319 U.S. 315,63 S.Ct. 1098 (1943).

burford abstention See ABSTENTION.

burgage (bar-gij). 1. A type of socage tenure in which tenants paid annual rents to the lord of the borough. See SOCAGE. 2. Scots law. The tenure by which a burgh held its land of the king, the service due being watching and warding. See WATCH AND WARD. - Also termed burgage tenure.

burgator (bar-gay-tar). Rist. A burglar; a person who breaks into a house or an enclosed space.

burgess bar-jis). 1. An inhabitant or freeman of a borough or town. 2. A magistrate of a borough. 3. A person entitled to vote at elections. 4. A representative of a borough or town in Parliament. "[Burgesses] are properly Men of Trade, or the Inhabit-ants of a Borow or Walled Town; yet we usually apply this name to the Magistrates of such a Town, as the Bailiff and Burgesses of Leominster. But we do now usually call those Burgesses who serve in Parliament, for any such Borow or Corporation." Thomas Blount, Nama·Lexicon: A Law· Dictionary (1670).

burgh english (barg ing-glish). See BOROUGH ENGLISH.

burgh engloys (barg ing-gloiz). See BOROUGH ENGLISH.

burglar One who commits burglary.

burglarious (bar-glair-ee-as), adj. Of or relating to burglary <burglarious intent>. - burglariously, adv.

burglarize To commit a burglary <the defendant burglarized three houses>. Also termed (esp. in bre) burgle.

burglary 1. The common-law offense of breaking and entering another's dwelling at night with the intent to commit a felony. 2. The modern statutory offense of breaking and entering any building - not just a dwelling, and not only at night - with the intent to commit a felony . Some statutes make petit larceny an alternative to a felony for purposes of proving burglarious intent. Also termed (in sense 2) breaking and statutory burglary. Cf. ROBBERY.

burglary tool (often pI.), An implement designed to help a person commit a burglary . In many juris-dictions, it is illegal to possess such a tool if the pos-sessor intends to commit a burglary.

burgle See BURGLARIZE.

burial insurance See INSURANCE.

burial insurance Insurance that pays for the holders burial and funeral expenses.

buried-facts doctrine The rule that a proxy-statement disclosure is inadequate if a reasonable share-holder could fail to understand the risks presented by facts scattered throughout the proxy . In applying this rule, a court will consider a securities disclosure to be farse and misleading if its overall significance is obscured because material information is buried in footnotes, appendixes, and the like.

burking The crime of murdering someone, usu. by smothering, for the purpose of selling the corpse . This term arose from the Scottish murder team of Burke and Hare, whose practice in 1828 of suffocating their victims while leaving few visible marks made the corpses more salable to medical schools. - burke, vb.

burlaw See BYRLAW.

burlaw court See BYRLAW COURT.

burnt-records act A statute that enables a property owner to quiet title if the public records for the propertyhave been lost or destroyed in a disaster.

bursting-bubble theory The principle that a presumption disappears once the presumed facts have been contradicted by credible evidence.

bush doctrine The policy announced by President George W. Bush after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, to the effect that nations harboring terrorists will be treated as terrorists themselves and may be subject to a first-strike strategy. Cf. SOVEREIGN EQUALITY.

business 1. A commercial enterprise carried on for profit; a particular occupation or employment habitu-ally engaged in for livelihood or gain. 2. Commercial enterprises <business and academia often have congru-ent aims>. 3. Commercial transactions <the company has never done business in Louisiana>. See DOING BUSINESS. 4. By extension, transactions or matters of a noncommercial nature <the courts' criminal business occasionally overshadows its civil business>. 5. Parlia-mentary law. The matters that come before a deliberative assembly for its consideration and action, or for its information with a view to possible action in the future . In senses 2, 3, and 4, the word is used in a collective meaning.

business combination 1. The consolidation, for accounting purposes, of a corporation and one or more incorporated or unincorporated businesses. 2. The two entities considered as one entity for accounting purposes.

business compulsion See economic duress under DURESS.

business agent See BUSINESS AGENT.

business agent- 1. See managing agent under AGENT. 2. A labor-union representative selected to deal with employers.

business angel See angel investor under INVESTOR.

business appraiser An appraiser who specializes in determining the value of commercial enterprises and property, including real estate and intellectual property.

business appraiser- See APPRAISER.

business associations See BUSINESS ENTERPRISES.

business corporation See CORPORATION.

business corporation- A corporation formed to engage in commercial activity for profit. Cf. nonprofit corporation.

business court See COURT.

business court- A court that handles exclusively commercial litigation. In the late 20th century, business courts emerged as a way to unclog the general dockets and to dispose of commercial cases more efficiently and consistently. Also termed commercial court; commercial division.

business cycle The recurrent expansion and contraction of economic activity.

business day See DAY.

business day- A day that most institutions are open for business, usu. a day on which banks and major stock exchanges are open, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and certain major holidays.

business enterprises The field of law dealing with various forms of business, such as corporations, limited-liability companies, and partnerships. Also termed business entities; business associations; enterprise organizations.

business entry A writing admissible under the business-records exception to the hearsay rule. See BUSINESS-RECORDS EXCEPTION.

business expense See EXPENSE.

business expense- An expense incurred to operate and promote a business; esp., an expenditure made to further the business in the taxable year in which the expense is incurred. Most business expenses - unlike personal expenses are taxdeductible.

business form See BLANK FORM.

business gain 1. See GAIN (2). 2. See GAIN (3).

business guest See BUSINESS VISITOR (1).

business guest- See BUSINESS VISITOR (1).

business homestead See HOMESTEAD.

business homestead- The premises on which a family's business is located.o In some states, business homesteads are exempt from execution or judicial sale for most kinds of debt.

business invitee 1. See INVITEE. 2. See BUSINESS VISITOR (1).

business loss See ordinary loss under LOSS.

business meeting See MEETING.

business method A way or an aspect of a way in which a commercial enterprise is operated.

business methods patent Initiative A U.S. Patent and Trademark Office program that added a second level to business-method-patent reviews for the purpose of reducing the number of business-method patents issued . The PTa created the initiative in response to complaints that examiners improperly approved many business-method patents. After an examiner approves the application and before a business-method patent is granted, a second examiner must completely review the application and either reject the application or affirm the issuance of the patent.

business opportunity The chance to buy or lease either a going business, or a product, service, or equipment that will enable the buyer or lessee to profit.

business plan A written proposal explaining a new business or business idea and usu. covering finan-cial, marketing, and operational plans.

business record A report, memorandum, or other record made usu. in the ordinary course of business. It may be ordered produced as part of discovery in a lawsuit.

business software alliance An international trade organization representing leading software and ecommerce developers, formed to educate governments and the public about software issues and to fight software piracy and Internet theft. Abbr. BSA.

business tor See TORT.

business transaction An action that affects the actor's financial or economic interests, including the making of a contract.

business trust See TRUST (4).

business visitor 1. A person who is invited or permitted to enter or remain on another's land for a purpose directly or indirectly connected with the landowner's or possessor's business dealings. Also termed business invitee; business guest. See INVITEE. 2. Immigration law. A non-U.S. citizen who has a B-1 visa, which allows the person to be employed while in the United States.

business-continuation agreement An agreement for the disposition ofa business interest in the event of the owner's death, disability, retirement, or withdrawal from the business. The agreement may be between the business and its individual owners, among the individual owners themselves, or between the individual ownersand a key person, family member, or outsider. - Abbr. BCA. Cf. cross-purchase agreement; third-party business-buyout agreement.

business-continuation agreement- See AGREEMENT.

business-entry rnle See BUSINESS-RECORDS EXCEPTION.

business-interruption insurance See INSURANCE.

business-interruption insurance An agreement to protect against one or more kinds of loss from the interruption of an ongoing business, such as a loss of profits while the business is shut down to repair fire damage.

business-judgment rule The presumption that in making business decisions not involving direct self-interest or self-dealing, corporate directors act on an informed basis, in good faith, and in the honest belief that their actions are in the corpo-ration's best interest. The rule shields directors and officers from liability for unprofitable or harmful cor-porate transactions if the transactions were made in good faith, with due care, and within the directors' or officers' authority."The business judgment rule is a presumption protecting conduct by directors that can be attributed to any rational business purpose. In order to plead and prove a claim, a plaintiff must plead and prove facts overcoming this presumption. Where the presumption is overcome, directors bear the burden of proving the fairness of the chal-lenged conduct. The difference between these two levels of judicial scrutiny - a presumption in favor of directors that protects conduct that is rational, versus a burden of proving fairness frequently is outcome determinative." 1 Dennis 1. Block et aI., The Business judgment Rule 18-19 (5th ed. 1998).

business-method exception Intellectual property. The traditional doctrine that business methods are not protected by intellectual-property laws . Early caselaw established that "pure methods of doing business" were unpatentable. But in 1998, the Federal Circuit held in State St. Bank & Trust Co. v. Signature Fin. Group (149 F.3d 1368) that business methods are not per se unpatentable if they otherwise meet the requirements for a valid patent. The European Patent Convention expressly excludes business methods from patent protection.

business-method patent A U.S. patent that describes and claims a series of process steps that, as a whole, constitutes a method ofdoing business Until 1998, methods for doing business were not expressly recognized as being patentable. In that year, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals held in State Street Bank & Trust Co. v. Signature Fin. Group, Inc., 140 F.3d 1368 (Fed. Cir. 1998), that business methods are subject to the same legal requirements for patentability as any other process or method. Also termed cyberpatent.

business-method patent See PATENT (3).

business-partner insurance See partnership insurance under INSURANCE.

business-partner insurance See partnership insurance.